Shadows
by HeartofMeridian
Summary: The Guardians travel to Albion, but will the Hero of Bowerstone be happy to see them? And can either of them stop an ancient darkness from spreading across the universe?
1. Shots in the Dark

**A.N.: This story is based off of a request from CMR Rosa, who I thank for the idea. I'm going to try to update regularly as possible, but no promises. Any and all feed back is appreciated. This story takes place after Fable 2, and after W.I.T.C.H season 2. I own no licences, so don't sue. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Shots in the Night

WILLIE'S TAVERN, as said the sign above the door, was the type of bar where one would tend to find the lowest class of people. Thieves, murderers and bandits were Willie's usual patrons, but the man who walked through the tavern's door on a crisp fall evening was none of those. He was a man from a strong, proud lineage, although you would not know it by looking at him. He wore plain clothes, ones that were designed for practicality, not for style. Rips and patches could be seen in various parts of the clothes, as well as some suspicious looking red stains. While his face and skin bore the scars of many battles and adventures, he could still easily be called handsome. That is, if you could see his face, which at the time, was covered by his hooded cloak. He had a large sword strapped to his back, and a revolver at his hip. In a place such as this, however, that was not unusual.

The man winced from both the sound and the smell as soon as he entered. He was not used to the yelling or shouting, and it was hard to believe that anyone could ever get used to the smell. Regardless of the odor, and the low quality ale, the place was packed with people. Hundreds of rogues and rebels sang and drank the night away, retelling tales of the day's conquests. The man knew all this before he had entered, but the nearest shelter was still another hours walk, so this would have to do. Next time, he thought, he would plan ahead.

He found an empty chair as far away from the piano as possible, and sat down to rest his feet. He stayed there for a few minutes, and was about to order a drink when a nearby conversation caught his attention.

"C'mon, love! Live a little!"

A group of four rather large, and intoxicated men, had formed a circle around one of the women in the bar. While the woman was obviously dressed to attract attention, it was clear that this was not the type she wanted.

"I've told you, Henry, no! Not after last time!" the woman said, looking for an exit.

"Oh, stop your whining! Why don't you come on home with us?" the man said while his friends blocked the woman from escaping.

"I told you, no! Now let go!" the woman said, beginning to squirm as Henry tightened his grip on her.

"I don't remember giving you much choice in the matter!" he said. He began to raise his fist, when…

"Hey!"

The four men turned to stare at the man sitting in the corner. He had not stood up, but was now looking in their direction. The four men were not used to anyone interrupting their fun, and weren't quite sure what to make of this hooded stranger. After all, they were the biggest and toughest men in the forest. No one stood up to them, especially not this stranger, sitting alone in the corner.

"She said no." the strange man said. "Now let her go."

"Mind your own business, stranger." Henry said.

"I would have, but you insisted on hurting this woman. I will not allow that." the man said.

"Do you know who we are?" one of Henry's pals said.

"Not really, no." the man said, still sitting, looking rather bored.

"Then maybe it's time we taught you a lesson." Henry said, walking towards the man in the corner.

"I'd rather you didn't," the man said, not moving as Henry got closer.

"You scared?" Henry asked, cracking his knuckles.

"No." The man said calmly. "Simply tired after a long day of walking, and not really in the mood for a fight."

"Well that's too bad," Henry said, raising his fist, "because you've got one."

But his fist never came down. In fact it never did anything ever again, for as quick as the eye could see, the man in the corner pulled out his gun and put a bullet right between Henry's eyes. Henry fell backwards.

His friends were quick to respond. Two of them leapt at the man and flipped a table at him. The man managed to get a shot of, but the airborne table blocked it. He dove out of the way of the flying furniture, spun, and got off four more shots. Two missed, but the other two were both deadly accurate. The two men slumped to the floor while the shooter frowned. Four shots for two men? He must be tired, he thought.

He ducked as a throwing knife missed his head by inches, then turned and fired as the fourth man ducked behind a pile of crates. Another bullet blasted one of the crates away, leaving the bandit exposed. However, when the gun was pointed at him, the man merely smiled.

"That's six bullets you've used." the man behind the crates said. "That's all you've got."

The bandit smiled again, and pulled out a throwing knife, taking careful aim.

"I've never missed a shot." He said, pulling his arm back to throw. But as he did so, the man from the corner raised his hand and fired a single ball of fire. His foe fell, the flesh melted from his bones.

The rest of the bar's patrons, who had been cheering on the combatants, now fell silent. They knew that power, and they knew the one person who could wield it.

"You… you're the…" the bartender stammered.

"What I am is thirsty." The man said, "And I would like an ale."

He sat back down on his chair in the corner, the one piece of furniture not destroyed, and waited for his drink. The bartender quickly poured him an ale, and a waitress delivered it to him. He paid for his drink, and then the Hero of Bowerstone relaxed for the first time all day.

"Girls, today I faced an evil greater then Phobos, Nerissa and Cedric combined. And I was defeated."

"It was a history test, Irma. It may have been hard, but it wasn't exactly evil." Cornelia said to Irma.

The five Guardians walked through the large hallways of Kandrakar, heading towards the main chamber where the Oracle was waiting for them. They had been summoned only a few minutes ago, and had no idea what the Oracle wanted from them.

"Clearly you've never taken Mr. Horsberg's tests." Irma said.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to go with Irma on this one," Hay Lin interrupted. "That test was evil. Even Taranee and I failed it, right Taranee?"

"Um, well, not exactly, Hay Lin." Taranee replied sheepishly.

Irma glared at her friend.

"Taranee, what did you get on that test?"

"87." Taranee mumbled under her breath.

"87? 87!" Irma screamed. "Who gets 87 on that test?"

"Apparently Taranee does." Will said with a smile.

"If you just had of studied…" Taranee said.

"Thanks 'mom'." Irma replied. "How am I supposed to know why Prussia collapsed? I don't even know where it was built!"

"It's not a building, Irma. It's a country that was formed in…"

"How do you know this?" Irma said, cutting Taranee off. "You've got to get out more."

"Irma, I'm walking down the hallway of a fortress that is literally at the center of the universe. How much more out could I be?"

Taranee's voice echoed off the council walls as the five girls entered the main chamber.

"Greetings, Oracle." Will said, elbowing Irma in an effort to get her friend to stop groaning. "How are you?"

"Fine, Will." The Oracle replied. "Thanks in no small part to your efforts. You have my eternal gratitude."

Nerissa had imprisoned the Oracle during her attack on Kandrakar, but the Guardians had defeated her and the fortress was now back to normal.

"Always happy to help!" Hay Lin said.

"Which is why it is with great regret that I must inform you of another issue which requires your immediate attention."

Irma groaned again.

"Now what? Can't the universe just be at peace for one week?" she said.

"What is it, Oracle? Something to do with Meridian?" Cornelia asked.

"No." The Oracle replied. "This is to do with a world you have never visited."

"So it's a new threat?" Will asked. "One we've never faced before?"

"Yes. And possibly one that no one has ever faced before." The Oracle said. "For no one has visited this world in thousands of years."

"What kind of a world is this?" Will said with a frown, getting slightly worried.

"It is one of the most powerful, and potentially the most dangerous world in existence." The Oracle said. "Girls, let me tell you the story of Albion."


	2. Back in Black

Chapter 2

Back in Black

The five Guardians sat on the council room steps as the Oracle began to talk.

"Story time, great. Feels like I'm back in school." Irma said before the Oracle could start.

"Shhhhh!" Cornelia said. "Some of us are trying to learn."

Irma frowned, but remained silent.

"There is a magical aura that surrounds all worlds." The Oracle began. "On Earth, it is very small, and magic is unknown. On worlds like Meridian, however, the aura is much larger. Magic is common knowledge there, and some people have the ability to wield it. But no world in the universe has as much magic present as Albion."

"And I'm guessing not all of this power is used for good, or else you wouldn't be telling us about it." Will said.

"Correct." The Oracle replied. "There is someone, or more likely, something, that has access to an incredible amount of power, and it seeks to use this power for evil. This force almost seems to be one with Albion's magical aura. It eclipses the threat of Phobos by a hundred times. Kandrakar could not risk engaging it, so to prevent this darkness from spreading, Albion was placed in a unique, permanent veil."

"Wait, when did this happen?" Hay Lin asked. "I don't remember hearing about any other veils."

"This happened a very, very long time ago." The Oracle said. "Hundreds of thousands of years before your births. The veil was created so that nothing could enter or exit Albion's realm. Once it was created, Albion was forgot about."

"Wait a second," Cornelia interrupted. "You just abandoned them? What if there were innocent people there, like on Meridian?"

"The threat was too great." The Oracle replied. "If the darkness on Albion escaped into the universe, it could cause untold chaos and destruction."

"But if this all happened thousands of years ago, what does it have to do with us?" Will asked.

"One thousand years ago, not very long by Kandrakar's standards, something happened on Albion that threatened to pierce the veil."

"What do you mean by 'something'?" Irma asked.

"A power surge." the Oracle replied. "An energy wave with the ability to reshape worlds. It existed for only a few seconds, and then disappeared. We waited for it to reappear, but it never did, and Albion was once again forgotten."

"Still doesn't explain why we're here." Cornelia said.

"A few months ago, it happened again." The Oracle replied grimly. "Now that the threat of Nerissa has ended, we can no longer afford to sit idly by. We must find out what is causing these energy surges, and once found, they must be put to a stop."

"Let me guess." Irma said. "We have to go to Albion, source of the greatest source of evil in the universe, find the thing that's causing huge waves of destructive energy, and shut it down."

"That putting it a bit simply, but yes." The Oracle replied.

Irma thought about this and shrugged.

"Whatever." she said.

"Woah, hold on!" Cornelia said, interrupting. "Kandrakar was too scared to even try and fight this thing, but now the five of us have to face it alone?"

"The plan is not to have you fight this force, simply find out whether it has the ability to pierce the veil, and if it does, stop it." the Oracle said. "With any luck you'll never even see it."

"Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice." Will said. "When do we leave?"

"Tonight. Allowing you to pass through the veil is a delicate procedure, and we are only able to do so under perfect conditions, such as now. Once open, it will stay open until we close it, so there is no time limit for your mission."

"Great, and how much xp do we get once were done?" Irma said. "I think I'm about to level up."

"Xp?" The Oracle said, frowning.

"Just ignore her." Cornelia said. "We do."

"If you two are done," Will interrupted. "Let's grab something to eat and get some rest. Tonight, we're going to Albion."

* * *

The Hero of Bowerstone sighed as a collection of gravel fell through his fingers. A few seconds later, his fingers wrapped around another, firmer handhold, and he hoisted himself up to his objective. He had spent the last hour free climbing one of the many peaks that Mistpeak valley was named for. He had seen this mountain before in his travels, and had often longed to climb it. Now that he had, he stared down at the valley below. This valley was quite unknown to most people in Albion. It was the home to many Balverine's, as well as a few of the tougher bandits, which kept most travellers away. However, as weaponry development continued to advance, it was likely that Mistpeak would one day become a trade route.

Although the Hero knew all this, he did not care. For him this moment was simply about observing the beauty of the land before him. It was due to his efforts that all this still existed, but he found he did not feel the pride that he expected to. Although he had travelled all of its lands, Albion still held many questions and mysteries for him. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answers.

He frowned as he watched the sun begin to set. It would be dark soon, and that meant that the dangers of the valley would begin to rise. He gathered his stuff and was beginning to walk towards the nearest town when he felt a chill colder then any wind could bear. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and slowly looked around. Within seconds, the source of the power became clear.

About a meter away from the hero, the ground began be covered with a black, tar like liquid. As the hero continued to watch, the liquid bubbled, and the image of a man came into sight. A purple haze swirled around him, making it difficult for the hero to get a clear image of him. The man was fully dressed in red and black armor, with gold gauntlets on his wrist. Much of the armor were covered in the same black liquid that was on the ground. The liquid seemed to be wrapping itself around the man, as if grabbing on to him for dear life. The man's face was obscured by a white mask, with the image of a single red tear falling from the left eye.

"I bring you tidings of impending doom." the man said, walking towards the hero. "Yours."

The Hero drew his sword.

"Is that a threat?" He asked.

"No." The man in the mask said. "Simply a statement. Your life is forfeit. Your world is ours. Within the next ten minutes you will be dead by my hand. This is not hyperbole. This is not arrogance. This is fact."

The Hero of Bowerstone had witnessed a lot of things in his life, but even he was taken slightly aback by the stranger. He told the Hero of his death as if he was reading a newspaper. There did not seem to be any hatred in his voice. The hero quickly regained his wits and fixed his attacker with a cold stare.

"You will not find it so easy, demon." he said.

The masked man simply sighed.

"So be it." he said. "I suppose some things never do change."

The Hero charged at the man, hoping to catch him off guard. He slashed quickly with his sword, but the gauntlets on the strangers' wrists blocked the attack. Before he could strike again, the hero was flung backwards by a single punch from his foe. He hit the ground hard, and came up angry. He reached for his pistol, but twin streams of black liquid, shot from the masked man's hands, enveloped him before he could reach his weapon. The liquid began to harden and tighten at once, forcing the air out of the hero's lungs. He dropped his sword and clawed at the now solid substance. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to think clearly, then grabbed his bonds and focused. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with a bright blue light. Lightning shot down his arms and into the material, which cracked away when the lighting hit. The hero whipped out his pistol and emptied his clip into his enemy. The masked man disappeared in a cloud of black, purple smoke.

The hero looked around cautiously, wondering if he had defeated his foe.

"Not even close." Came a voice from behind.

Before the hero could move, he was hit on the back of the head by a brutal force. He fell to the ground, but had been hit before and rolled on impact. He got to his feet, sword drawn, but before he could attack, the masked man appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the neck.

"You truly have Black blood running through your veins, but it will take more then that to save you." The man said, carrying the struggling hero towards the edge of the cliff.

The hero looked down at the long, straight drop to the valley floor below. He was waiting for the end when a bolt of lightning hit the masked man in the side, forcing him to release his grip on the hero and sending the man tumbling to the ground. The Hero grabbed on to the edge of the cliff, and pulled himself up.

"How did you do that?" The masked man said, annoyance in his voice.

"He didn't." came a voice from above. "I did."

The masked man looked up to see five women flying above him. Although he did not know it at the time, the women were the Guardians, and it had been Will Vandom who had fired the bolt of lightning.

"You know not what you're dealing with." The masked man said to the Guardians.

"I may not be smart like Taranee," Irma said, "But I think I know this. Anyone who wears a mask as creepy as yours, and anyone who is surrounded by billowing purple smoke, is evil. Seriously, you might as well just wear a shirt that says 'I'm a bad guy' on it."

Will smiled as the man got to his feet.

"Girls, why don't we show this jerk what we do with bad guys."


	3. Nightlight

Chapter 3

Nightlight

Neither the Hero of Bowerstone, nor the masked man, knew the identities of the five women floating in front of them. Nor did either of them care. For the masked man, these were just five more obstacles in his way, and would be dispatched accordingly. For the Hero, although he'd never admit it, these women were his only hope for survival. His enemy had easily defeated him, and he would be dead were it not for their timely arrival.

"Get to safety, pal." Hay Lin said, looking at the Hero. "We'll handle this guy."

The Hero frowned at the condescending tone in Hay Lin's voice. Clearly they did not know who he was. He made no move to leave. He was curious to see how these new strangers could fight, and he would be damned before he ran away from a fight.

Cornelia attacked first, using vines in an attempt to ensnare her foe. The masked man merely flexed and the vines were shot off. Next, Irma and Hay Lin used their powers to try to freeze the stranger to the ground. However, the masked man simply used the black substance surrounding him to form a shield and block the attack.

"Well, this is fun." Cornelia said.

"Whatever that goo is, it's really annoying." Will said. "Any idea what it is Taranee?"

"How should I know?" Taranee said with a shrug.

For the next few minutes, the Guardians fired attack after attack at the masked man, to no avail. Everything they threw at him was either dodged or blocked by the black liquid. Their frustration was beginning to show.

"If anybody's got any ideas, now would be a great time to share them." Will said.

"Sorry," Cornelia said. "We've thrown everything we've got at him."

"Yes, you have." the masked man said. "And now it's my turn."

With blinding speed, the man fired a single burst of black liquid at Irma. It exploded on impact, covering the girl in the dark material, and sending her crashing to the ground. While Irma was falling, Cornelia managed to catch the man by surprise, hitting him with two large boulders. The man was unfazed, and launched two arms, made entirely of the black substance, at Cornelia. They caught the Earth Guardian by the leg, and dragged her to the ground.

Taranee threw a ring of fire around the man and hit her target. The man stood in the center of the flames, unharmed, and fired hundreds of small, hard spheres at Taranee. She was unable to dodge them all, and also fell to the ground. Hay Lin, furious by this point. Created a large tornado around her foe. For a few seconds, it appeared to work. Any attack that the man attempted was disrupted by the heavy winds. But just when Hay Lin thought she had done it, the masked man teleported, appearing behind Hay Lin in mid-air, surrounded by a puff of black smoke. As he was falling, he landed a blow to the back of Hay Lin's head, causing the girl to fall to the ground. The masked man landed gracefully on his feet, and then turned to the remaining Guardian. Will.

Will was quick to attack. Lightning bolts streaked through the air, lighting up the night sky. The masked man stood his ground, blocking all of the shots. He enveloped himself in a cloud of black smoke, disappearing from Will's sight. The Heart bearer stopped her attack for just a second to see where he had gone, and instantly realized her mistake. The masked man leapt through the smoke and flew at Will, grabbing her and dragging her to the ground. He wrapped his hands around her neck, lifting her up. Will tried to use her powers to shock him free, but twin tendrils wrapped around her arms, pinning them behind her. The masked man stared at her for a few seconds, as if inspecting a meal before consuming, then readied himself for a final strike.

Will, still in the man's grasp, looked around her. Her friends lay on the ground, still in no position to assist her. Feeling the end coming near, she used the only other weapon she had. The Heart of Kandrakar. Summoning her strength, she made the Heart shine brightly, brighter then it ever had before. The man, obviously unused to such light, released his grip, shielding his eyes. Will smiled, and then hit him with a powerful bolt of lighting. The man went flying backwards. When he got to his feet, he had changed. The black liquid that had once simply been dripping off him now came alive. It screamed and howled at Will, its shrill voice piercing the night and causing Will to wince. It flared up again, and three tendrils, bigger then before, began to fly at Will before the girl could react.

Before the tendrils could reach Will, three bullets, fired with deadly accuracy, stopped the tendrils in their tracks. The Hero had gotten to his feet and now pointed a smoking gun at the man in the mask. The man looked from the Hero to Will, to the Guardians slowly getting to their feet. Then, he looked at the black substance, which was still screaming louder then ever, as if seeing it for the first time.

"Interesting." He said.

He shot one last glimpse at Will, and then disappeared in a pool of black liquid.

The Hero of Bowerstone fired the rest of his clip into the pool, but it had no effect.

"Um, I'm pretty sure he's gone." Taranee said, clearing her head.

"Who are you?" The Hero replied curtly. "How did you get here?"

"Um, seeing as we saved your life, we'll ask the questions, okay?" Will said, crossing her arms.

The Hero fixed her with an icy gaze, but did not argue.

"Very well, ask away." He said.

"Who are you?" Hay Lin asked. "'Cause I'm pretty sure you're not an ordinary civilian."

"That's putting it mildly." The Hero responded. "I have been called many things. The Hero of Bowerstone, Sparrow, or more recently, Journeyman and Hero of the Sp-"

"Sparrow? That's a silly name." Irma interrupted.

"And what is your name?" The Hero said, glaring at Irma.

"Irma." Irma said proudly.

"I knew an Irma once." The Hero replied. "She could roll over, play dead, and fetch sticks."

Cornelia barely managed to hold back a laugh as she pushed Irma aside.

"This is why we don't let you talk to new people." she said to Irma.

"We're the Guardians." Will said, holding out a hand for the Hero to shake. "We were sent here because there is an evil here that could threaten the entire universe."

The Hero stared at Will's hand, and then reluctantly shook it.

"I believe you have just found it." He said, glancing back at where the masked man had disappeared.

"Any idea who he was? Or what that black stuff was?" Taranee asked.

"No." The Hero said, bending down to take a closer look at where the man had disappeared. "I've never seen him or that substance."

"Wait a second." Will said. "This 'evil' has been around for thousands of years. If this is the thing we're after, how can you not have heard of it?"

"Come to think of it, I was sort of under the impression that we were entering a warzone, like Meridian when Phobos was in power." Taranee said, looking around. "This is kinda nice."

It was at that moment that seven large Balverine's appeared behind the group, growling.

"I would love to give you more information," the Hero said, drawing his sword, "But I don't believe that now is a good time."

"Do you know somewhere safe, where we can talk?" Will asked. She didn't know what the wolf like creatures in front of them were, but she was in no mood to find out.

"Yes." The Hero said. "But it is a long walk."

"Pffft. Walk? Who walks?" Hay Lin said with a smile.

The Hero had seen and done many things in his life, but that did not make him any less uneasy as Hay Lin grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted off into the night sky.


	4. Blackout

Chapter 4

Blackout

Any discomfort the Hero had felt as Hay Lin flew him threw the air quickly disappeared once he entered the Guild Cave. Although there was no place anymore that he called home, this cave was about as close as it got. He couldn't help but give a small smile as he straightened his jacket and went inside.

For the Guardians, it was their turn to be amazed. Although old and beaten, it was clear that the cave was at one time stunningly beautiful.

"Nice place." Hay Lin said, looking around.

"Is this your house?" Cornelia asked.

"No. It is simply a sanctuary of sorts." The hero replied, keeping a close eye on the girls. He wasn't sure he fully trusted them yet. Yes, they had saved his life, but their appearance shortly after that of the masked man's was too coincidental for his liking. He wasn't comfortable having them in the cave, but he could think of nowhere else to go.

"I like it." Irma said. "It has a nice, spooky vibe to it."

"It is called the Guild Cave." the Hero said, "Or more specifically, the chamber of fate."

"Is this where you keep all your cool weapons?" Hay Lin asked.

"In a way." The hero replied. "It is here that we can find our greatest weapons in this fight."

"Oh, sweet!" Irma said. "I bet it's a really big sword, or a hammer! That would be awesome!"

But the Hero did not retrieve any blade or firearm. Instead, he lit up a torch and revealed a seemingly endless bookshelf.

"Books." The hero said. "The largest collection in Albion. If we are to find out anything about our adversary, we will find it here."

"Finally, someone who understands the value of research." Taranee said with a smile.

"Um, yeah, here's the thing. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to books, unless they're fashion magazines." Cornelia said. "So, I'm just going to step outside for some…"

"No." The hero interrupted. "Whoever our foe is, he seems to like the darkness. I was much more vulnerable after my long climb up, but he waited until night to attack. In here, we are safe, but anywhere outside these walls is dangerous. At least until morning."

"He's right Cornelia." Will said. "Come on, grab a book. It won't kill you. Probably."

And so, Cornelia, as well as the rest of the Guardians, changed back into human form and began to pick books off the wall. However, the Hero had noticed something. He had thought that his allies were women, experienced and trained in battle. In front of him, however, stood five girls, no older then 15 he guessed.

"You are… much younger then I first thought." he said.

"So?" Irma said.

"I did not expect that the people I would be fighting beside would be children."

"Children?" Hay Lin said.

"What are you saying?" Will said, suspiciously.

The Hero thought about it for a moment.

"Perhaps it would be best if, after we found out the identity of our foe, I fight him alone."

The girls stared at the Hero for a moment.

"What?" Irma said.

"Are you saying we can't handle ourselves?" Cornelia added.

"That we're too young?" Taranee added.

"Well, I think that…"

"We've saved worlds multiple times."

"Be that as it may…"

"You have no idea what we are capable of!"

"That's true, but…"

"Who are you to tell us we can't fight?"

"Look!" the Hero said, getting frustrated, "I will not be a babysitter while my world is in danger!"

The Hero quickly realized from the look in Irma's eyes that that was the wrong thing to say.

"Babysitter? Babysitter!" Irma yelled at the hero. "Why you ungrateful…!"

Cornelia and Taranee had to restrain Irma.

"I did not mean to insult any of you, I simply meant," The Hero began.

"We know what you meant." Will said. "You don't want to babysit us? Fine, then don't! But we're after the same guy, and if you do truly care about this world, you realize that you have a better chance of protecting it with us, then without us, so we might as well work together."

"I apologize if my comments were taken the wrong way, I never meant to insult any of you." The Hero said. "I am simply accustomed to working on my own, and chil… young women are outside my expertise. I do not want to have any of your blood on my hands."

"You won't." Said Will. "We know what we're getting into, and we're doing it of our own free will."

"Very well then. Let's get to work." The Hero said.

There was very little enthusiasm for this task from the girls, especially after the argument, with the exception of Taranee, who could think of nowhere she'd rather be then in the ancient library of another world. She, along with the Hero, browsed through book after book, searching for the identity of their foe. After a few hours of this, the rest of the girls began to doze off, catching up on some much needed sleep.

"Come on, Taranee," Irma said, waking up from a long nap, "even you have to sleep sometime."

"Irma, how can you sleep when you have the knowledge of the world around you!" Taranee replied.

"Very easily." Irma replied. "Now lie down before you miss the night all together."

"Oh, it's too late for that." The Hero said, glancing over at an hourglass he had placed on the corner of the desk. "It's morning now."

"Really?" Hay Lin said, snapping to attention. "Does that mean we can go outside?"

"Oh, please let us go out and play!" Irma said.

The Hero sighed and rubbed his head. It had been a while since he had kept company, and he was not used to it. What few friends he had were soldiers and warriors. Despite their appearances, it seemed that these 'women' were nothing more then girls.

"Yes, you may go outside now." The Hero said. "In fact, nothing would please me more."

"Well, we know when we're not wanted." Cornelia said.

"Alright, be nice." Will said. "We're going to explore the town. Let us know when you find something, alright?"

The Hero nodded, but didn't look up from his book.

"If it's alright, I'm going to stay here and keep reading." Taranee said. "But have fun."

"Suit yourself." Will said with a shrug.

The four girls walked out of the cave, leaving Taranee and the Hero inside working.

Will had to squint as the four girls entered the village square. She hadn't realized it, but they had spent the last 12 hours in darkness, and it took some time for her eyes to adjust to the bright morning sun. When she had, she took her first good look at Albion. There were no signs that this world was the source of the evil described to them by the Oracle. Hundreds of people went on their way, busy with their various tasks. Children ran between the girl's feet, in chase of a rouge chicken. A few of the villagers looked twice at the girls' outfits, but they were used to strange visitors, and didn't think much of it.

"This is the most powerful world in the universe?" Cornelia asked. "It's seems… nice."

"Yeah, I might retire here." Hay Lin said, inspecting some of the food vendors.

"Just because we can't see the evil, doesn't mean it's not there." Will said. "Keep your eyes open."

"Oh relax, Will." Irma said. "We're in a crowded square, in broad daylight. Nobody's going to try anything."

Will looked around once more at the peaceful town and decided Irma was right. Whoever that man was, he seemed to prefer to work in secret. There was no way he would risk attacking them in broad daylight.

Just as she was lowering her guard, she noticed a black smoke rising from the ground. She looked down and found herself standing in a pool of black liquid. She recognized it immediately as the liquid that surrounded the masked man that they had fought the night before. The liquid moved faster then Will had ever thought possible, and before she knew it, the liquid had covered her up to her neck. As it coated her ears, she could hear a voice in the distance.

"Hello again, Will." It said.

Will knew instantly who it was, and she panicked. She trashed around as the liquid climbed her face. The whole incident had taken only a couple seconds, and although every one in the village could see her being attacked, none of them had enough time to help her. In desperation, she did the only thing she could think of to save herself.

"Guardians unite!" she screamed.

And as the last of her was covered by the black liquid, a tiny flash of pink appeared as well. Then she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.


	5. The Darkness Within

Chapter 5

The Darkness Within

Taranee and the Hero sat across from each other, both immersed in books. The Hero had never been much of a reader as a child, but in the past few years he had spent much of his time learning in libraries, and the practice was now paying off. As interesting as the texts were, the girl sitting across from him was even more fascinating. Taranee took to the books quickly, and had a sizeable stack of books to her left, most of which she had already read.

"I know of many smart men who have not been able to decipher these texts." The hero said, picking up a book from Taranee's pile. "You are obviously very wise."

"Thank you." Taranee said, not looking up. "I'm not sure how much of it stuck."

"If you don't mind me saying so, your friends do not seem to share your passion for knowledge." The Hero said.

Taranee put away her book for the first time in hours, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"We all have different skills." Taranee replied. "That what makes us such a good team."

She was still weary of the Hero, and had not forgotten his 'babysitter' remark. Still, she knew that learning about their ally could be just as important as learning about their foe.

"Still, some of your teammates don't seem to be taking the situation as seriously as it deserves." The Hero replied. "Especially the one you call Irma."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call Irma an intellectual," Taranee said with a laugh. "but she's got more guts then any of us. And if it wasn't for her, I think situations like this one would have driven us all insane years ago."

"Be that as it may," the Hero replied, "it does not seem as if they could do anything without you."

"And I couldn't do anything without them." Taranee said. "But what about you? I don't even know what to call you."

The Hero thought about this for a few seconds, as if trying to remember his own name.

"Call me Sparrow." he said at last. "I believe that would be the most appropriate title, although no one has called me that for a very long time."

"I bet there's a very interesting story behind that name." Taranee said "But I bet there's an even more interesting story behind the rest of you. I'm guessing that not everybody in Albion can shoot fire and lighting out of their hands."

"No, I am the only one." The Hero replied.

"Exactly. So, what's the deal?" Taranee asked.

"To tell you my full history would take more time then we have." the Hero said. "But I shall tell you what I can."

And so the Hero told Taranee of his adventures. He told her of the Lucian Fairfax, of the Spire, and of the three heroes of skill, strength and will.

"And what of these heroes?" Taranee asked. "Sure sounds like we could use them."

"Reaver, the Hero of skill, is never someone I would have considered my friend." the Hero said. "He will not come to our aid. Hammer has gone back to train with the monks in the north. Even if we could tell her of our plight, she would not be able to come in time. And Garth… I have neither heard nor seen nothing of Garth since our battle atop the Spire. I believe he is in Samarkand, and I would not know how to reach him."

"A shame." Taranee said, "So why is it that someone like you, a person who saved the world, is now simply wandering it? Surely you were treated like a hero after your victory."

"True." The Hero said. "Many a celebration was had in my name. A statue was even built of me."

Taranee noticed the Hero fooling around with a letter in his pocket. It appeared to be from The People of Albion, but she could not get a better look.

"In truth, I think that is why I left to wander." The hero said. "I have no interest in being an idol. Some want me as their king. I can think of no one more ill-suited for the throne then I."

"Where I come from, we let the people choose the ruler." Taranee said. "Now, I admit, I don't know you very well,"

"No, you don't." The hero said. "You don't know me or the choices I've made. Believe me when I tell you that the less people who but their fates in my hands, the better."

"Who was she?" Taranee interrupted.

"Excuse me?" The Hero replied.

"I've seen that look before." Taranee said. "You've loved and you've lost. And worse, you blame yourself. You think you failed her, and that you made the wrong choice. That's why you're scared."

Taranee knew she was pushing her luck, but her curiosity would not let her stop.

"Who was she?"

The Hero did not respond. He simply turned his head, looked at the ground. Taranee thought she heard him say something about a rose, but she wasn't sure. This was the first time she had seen the hero show any emotion other then anger. She had no intention of hurting Sparrow, but it was obvious that there were still somethings he had not come to peace with yet. When he raised his head again, his face was once more stoic.

"I'm sorry." Taranee said. "I didn't mean to pry. I just didn't think you were giving yourself enough credit."

"That's alright." the Hero responded. "We better focus on the task at hand."

"I was thinking about that." Taranee replied. "You know that spire you mentioned? It could very well be the thing we're looking for. The thing that can pierce the veil."

"I thought about that, but it's unlikely." The hero said, returning to his books. "Whatever power the spire had left was used up when I made my wish. It's just a tower now; nothing special about it."

"Still it's the most powerful object in Albion, you said it yourself." Taranee replied. "You know, next time, you should tell us about giant, wish granting spires right away. Anything else you didn't mention."

"In a way." The hero replied. "I believe I know who the masked man is."

But before Taranee could answer, a flash of light enveloped her. When it faded, she was in Guardian form. She said only one thing before flying through the open door.

"Will!"

The Hero grabbed his sword, and ran off after her.

Irma, Cornelia, and Hay Lin looked at the spot where Will had been. They were shocked, but had been in enough tough situations to recover their senses quickly.

"What just happened?" Irma asked.

"I think it was that man!" Hay Lin said.

"Yeah, well tell them that." Cornelia replied, pointing to the circle of guards that were no surrounding them.

"Halt, demons! What have you done with that girl?" One of the guards said, brandishing his sword.

"Good thing we're Guardians." Cornelia said, clenching her fists.

However, before the girls could use their powers, a voice shouted from behind them.

"Stop!"

The girls turned around to see the Hero coming towards them, being carried by Taranee.

"The Hero!" One of the Guards said.

Without hesitation, the guards fell to their knees, obviously humbled by the Hero's arrival. Even though they were worried about Will, the girls had to be impressed by the reaction caused by the Hero's arrival. The Hero, however, seemed used to it.

"These girls are under my protection. You will not harm them."

"Yes sir." One of the guards said, still kneeling. "We're sorry sir, we had no idea."

"Firstly," the Hero said, "don't call me sir."

"Yes, he…"

"Or Hero. Secondly, explain what happened here."

"There was a red-headed girl. She disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. We thought that these girls were responsible." the guard said, raising his head to glare at the Guardians.

"Will?" Taranee asked. "She disappeared?"

"It was that man!" Hay Lin said. "At least, I think it was. It all happened too quickly."

"It appears I was mistaken." The Hero said. "Light does not seem to affect our adversary. At least, not immediately."

"Well that's great." Irma said. "Because you didn't know what you were talking about, our friend is gone!"

"Watch your tone with me, 'Guardian'." the Hero replied. "Perhaps if you were paying more attention…"

"Excuse me?" Irma began.

"Irma, please." Taranee interrupted. "Sparrow, we're all worried about Will. Perhaps you should tell us your theory."

"What theory?" Cornelia asked.

"I believe I know who the masked man is." The Hero replied. "Come, let us talk about the Jack of Blades."


	6. Dark Motives

The Guardians once more found themselves in the Guild Cave, and once more, a series of books were spread out amongst the table. This time, however, all the girls were staring intently at the texts, not just Taranee.

"You mentioned a… Jack?" Cornelia asked. "Who is he?"

"Most people think he is a legend. A myth. A story used to scare children into being good." The Hero replied, flipping through some pages.

"But not you?" Hay Lin said.

"I was not sure, but now I believe that he is our masked villain."

The Hero found the page he was looking for, and showed it to the Guardians. On it was a picture of a man in a red cloak and spiked armor, wearing a white and red mask.

"Sure looks like him." Irma said. "Just with less ooze. And a different mask."

"Who is he? And what does he want with Will?" Taranee asked.

"He is the most ancient of all evil." The Hero said in a solemn tone. "A power beyond reckoning. A member of the Shadow Court, along with his brother the Knight of blades, and his sister the Queen of blades, he resides in the void, a dark and mysterious realm. The Court ruled Albion with an iron fist millennia ago. Since the dawn of man, Albion has fought against their power, and it was not till the Hero of Oakville defeated him many years ago that he was thought dead."

"He seemed pretty alive to me." Hay Lin said.

"That is just the story." The Hero replied. "His body has been broken before, but his life force appears to be much more resilient."

"He must be a being of almost pure energy. And energy cannot be created or destroyed." Taranee said.

"As you say." The hero replied.

"Alright, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is the evil power that the Oracle warned us about." Irma said.

"But how do we stop him?" Cornelia asked, "And, once again, what does he want with Will?"

"What about the Spire you mentioned?" Taranee asked.

"The spire is quite simply the most powerful device in Albion." The Hero said, finding a picture of the Spire in one of his books, "It was created during the old kingdom, and was most recently reconstructed by Lucian Fairfax for his own needs. He was defeated, and I used its power to save everyone who was killed in the conflict."

"Woah, it's that powerful?" Hay Lin asked.

"And more." The Hero replied. "It focuses will power to grant the user one, limitless wish. However…"

"However what?" Irma asked.

"However, I've heard stories that the Spire is… more then that." The Hero continued. "I've heard that it breached the wall between our world and the void, and that…"

"Wait a second, the Void?" Irma interrupted. "The same Void that Jack is from?"

"Yes, but they have only been rumors." The Hero replied.

"Until now." Cornelia said.

"Yeah, if the Spire was rebuilt recently, like you said, and now Jack comes back, I think we can definitely say that there's a connection." Taranee said.

"There is still much that does not add up." The Hero said.

"Such as…?" Hay Lin asked.

"The Spire is nothing more than a tower at this point." The Hero said. "It was rendered powerless after I used it. Jack should not be able to use it to pass through into this realm."

"What would he need to do to get the Spire working again?" Cornelia asked.

"A huge energy source. The Hero replied.

"The Heart!" Taranee said. "That's what he wants Will for! She can use the Heart to re-activate the Spire!"

"I'm not so sure." The Hero replied. "I somehow doubt your little trinket would be powerful enough to do the job."

"You'd be surprised what that 'little trinket' can do." Hay Lin said.

"Sparrow, the Heart of Kandrakar is one of, if not the, most powerful energy sources in the universe." Taranee added. "Besides, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that Jack thinks it will work."

"That's true." The Hero said, getting to his feet. "Either way, our path is clear. We must get to the Spire."

* * *

The Jack of Blades could not face those he was talking to. He could not look them in the eye, or read their lips. He had no idea what their body language was, or if they even had bodies. All of this made him slightly uncomfortable when talking to them. But just slightly. It would take a lot more then disembodied voices to unnerve him.

Jack was surrounded by blackness. What little light did manage to exist in this realm served only to cast shadows on every surface, adding to the aura of evil. None of this, however, bothered Jack in any way. He was used to the darkness, and if anything made him feel more at home.

"I assume you will want a full interrogation." Jack said into the darkness.

"Yes." The darkness replied. "Do whatever it takes to gain what it is we desire."

The voice emanating from the void sounded like a chorus of wails, as if a thousand voices were talking in unison, and each had a voice like broken glass. It was enough to bring almost any man to his knees, but not Jack.

"And what would that be exactly?" Jack asked.

"The Power!" the Darkness replied. "All of it! We have already explained it to you."

As this was said, the oozing tendrils wrapped around Jack's waist screeched and screamed at the masked man, but he took no notice.

"Simply making sure I understand everything correctly before I begin." Jack replied casually.

"And now that you do, start the process! Give us our desire!" the darkness said, screaming louder.

"Do not rush me." Jack said. "You said it yourself. I'm the best at this. You need me."

"Watch your tone, bladesman." The darkness replied. "You are not in a position to antagonize us."

Jack frowned underneath his mask. No matter what he said, that was still true.

"Very well." he said, "Let me enter her chamber and do my job." Jack turned to walk away. Although he hid it well from his companions, he held his breath in anticipation. The next few moments would be crucial for what he planned next. As he continued to walk, the tendrils wrapped around him fell off and slithered away, something they had not done since first attaching to Jack.

"Won't you be joining me?" He asked innocently.

"We… feel it would be best if you worked alone." Came the reply from the darkness. "Free from distractions."

"Bit squeamish are we?" Jack said, trying to hold back a smile.

"Do not seek to anger us!" The darkness shouted back. "Our ears hear all inside this realm. We will still observe all that happens. Do not attempt do deceive us."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jack replied. "Oh, and one more thing,"

"What now?" The Darkness replied.

"Well, once I have what I need from her, what would you like done with her?" Jack asked.

"She will have no use to us. Kill her." The darkness replied.

"Understood." Jack said.

With that, he entered a dimly lit area of the void, to see a bound girl in front of him. The room sealed off, leaving him and the girl alone in a bare, dark room.

"Hello Will." Jack said to the girl. "We need to talk."


	7. Fear of the Dark

Chapter 7

Fear of the Dark

Will looked around and tried to gain her bearings. She was tied up, that much was easy to tell. She was somewhat surprised to find that she was held by no more then ordinary ropes. With all the strange magic around her, she figured that her captor could find something stronger then ropes to hold her.

She tested the strength of her bonds by twisting, and was surprised to find a weight hanging from her neck. She soon realized that it was the Heart. Why, she asked, would they leave her the Heart? She didn't know much about kidnapping, but she was pretty sure that you weren't supposed to leave your captive with her most powerful weapon. She tapped into her quintessential power, and allowed the lightning like force to spread across her body. It had no effect on the ropes. Perhaps they're not just plain old ropes, she thought to her self. Ordinary ropes would have been burned up by her powers, but these held their ground.

She decided to use her powers in a different way. She focused her energies into the Heart, and used it to light up her cell. She found nothing in it. The room was merely four walls that surrounded only her. She wasn't quite sure what she expected, skeletons hanging in the corner perhaps, but she did not find it. Despite her situation, her curiosity had gotten the best of her. Where was she, and what could they possibly want from her?

Will did not have to wait long for answers, for within minutes, someone entered.

"Hello Will." Jack said, entering the room, "We need to talk."

Jack then did the one thing that Will did not expect him to do. He released her.

As soon as she dropped to the ground, Will unleashed the most powerful blast of energy that she could, hitting Jack square in the chest. She maintained this attack for a few seconds before the energy faded.

"Did you really think that would work?" Jack asked, seemingly unfazed.

"Did you really think I wouldn't try?" Will replied. "Besides, it seemed to work before."

"You will find it much harder to defeat me in my own realm, child." Jack said.

"Is that why you let me keep the Heart?" Will said. "Or are you just really bad at your job."

"Do you know what I'm here to do?" Jack said, ignoring the question.

"I assume you're here to take the Heart of Kandrakar." Will said, trying to sound brave. "Through any means necessary."

"That is what both you, and my masters expect me to do." Jack replied. "But it is not what I'm going to do."

"Why not?" Will asked. "Wait a second, your masters? Someone controls you?"

"Sadly, yes." Jack replied. "And that is why I will not harm you today, girl."

"Then why are you here?" Will said.

"I am here to ask for your help." Jack replied.

* * *

No matter how many times he had seen it, the Spire had the same effect on Sparrow as it did on anyone else who laid eyes upon it. A sense of sheer awe and amazement, although with Sparrow, this awe was laced with sadness. Even the Guardians, who had seen their fair share of wonders, had to stop and admire the tower before them.

The sheer scale of the Spire alone was enough to make anyone look twice, but it was more then just its physical attributes that made it special. Waves of emotions seemed to be emanating from it. Hope, love, and willpower were the strongest, but rage and fear were beginning to grow.

"Well, it lives up to its name." Irma said once she caught her breath.

"And it certainty seems evil." Cornelia said.

"The Spire takes no moral stance." the Hero said. "It fights for neither good nor evil. It simply does what it was created to do. It is the hands of men that shape it to either harm or heal."

"Uh huh." Hay Lin said, unconvinced.

"Hero!" Came a voice from behind.

The five members of the part spun to find an old woman making her way towards them. She was dressed in a hooded cloak that obscured her face, but the girls could still make out a bandage that covered both of her eyes.

"Theresa." The hero said. "It is good to see you are well."

"It is good to find you healthy as well, Sparrow." Theresa replied.

"Um, want to introduce us?" Cornelia whispered to Sparrow.

"Theresa, these are the Guardians. Their leader has been taken by a masked foe. We believe this man to be the Jack of Blades." Sparrow said, giving a short recap of the past days events.

"Jack? He is back?" Theresa exclaimed with a sense of fear that Sparrow had never heard before in her voice.

"We believe so." The Hero replied. "Tell us, have you sensed anything from the Spire these past few days."

"There have been rumblings." Theresa said. "From the other side. I did not think much of it. How have these incursions been hidden from my sight?"

"No offense lady, but…" Irma said, staring at the band covering Theresa's eyes.

"I am blind, not dumb." Theresa replied, staring directly back at Irma. "Despite my physical limitations, I can still see farther and more clearly then you could ever hope to."

"Theresa is a seer." The Hero said. "Sometimes, she can predict events before they happen."

"The reason that this rag now covers my useless eyes is because of Jack." Theresa said. "He blinded me as a child. A disadvantage I have learned to overcome."

"So you can see the future." Irma said. "Awesome!"

"Yes, which is how I know of you, Irma Lair." Theresa said. "Although for some reason, all of your futures a hidden from me by some powerful energy."

"Probably the Heart." Taranee said. "Speaking of which, it's kinda why we're here."

"She will have been taken to the void." Theresa said. "And it takes none of my powers to deduce that. If Jack takes a victim, it will be to his realm. It is doubtful she is still alive, and if she is, she probably wishes she wasn't."

"I refuse to believe that." Taranee countered.

"We all do." Hay Lin added.

"Theresa, you know of the black substance that was surrounding Jack?" Sparrow asked.

"No." Theresa replied. "But I am curious as to what you speak of. Describe it in great detail."

And so Sparrow told Theresa everything he knew about Jack's return. About where and when he had appeared, and the strange behavior in which the liquid covering him behaved. The girls added information now and then, although nothing that Sparrow could not have said himself. Still, the Hero did not mind the interruptions. Anything that kept the Guardians from thinking about their leaders fate was beneficial.

"Well?" Sparrow asked when they were finished. "Do you know what it could be?"

"I believe so." Theresa said, "And if I am right, then Jack is the least of our worries."

"Wait a second, you're telling me that the guy who kidnapped Will is not our biggest problem?" Cornelia said.

"Yes." Theresa said. "And it is as I feared. Listen, all of you, as I speak of the Corruption."


	8. Fade to Black

Chapter 8

Fade to Black

Will, now able to move freely, circled the Jack of Blades cautiously. Her opponent, if that is truly what he was, circled with her, making sure the girl was always in his line of sight.

"You want my help?" Will asked. "You got a funny way of asking."

"There are many things you don't understand, Will." Jack replied. "I could not simply invite you for tea and ask for a favor."

"Well, if there's so much I don't understand, why don't you start explaining?" Will said.

"Very well," Jack replied, "what do you know of the Corruption?"

* * *

"The Corruption?" Sparrow said, "That is a name I have not come across in my readings."

The Guardians, minus Will, stood atop the Spire along side Sparrow and Theresa. Although a stiff, cold breeze normally pounded the top of the Spire, the gathered six were protected thanks to a bubble of calm air provided by Hay Lin.

"Well don't look at us." Irma said. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Little is known about the Corruption." Theresa said. "But it said to be an evil beyond reckoning."

"Even greater then that of Jack and the Shadow Court?" Sparrow asked.

"Yes." Theresa replied.

"So, are they like Jack's distant cousins or something?" Cornelia asked.

"Hardly." Theresa said. "If there is anyone related to the Corruption, it would probably be Sparrow here."

"Me?" Sparrow said. "I have not even heard of these creatures before now!"

"Be that as it may," Theresa continued, "It was your ancestor who birthed them."

"Birthed them?" Hay Lin said. "Ew!"

* * *

"His name was William Black." Jack said. "And he was, according to the people of Albion, a hero."

"But I take it you disagree." Will replied.

"We were enemies." Jack said. "He was responsible for my, my…"

"Defeat? Banishment? Complete and utter annihilation? Or all of the above?" Will said with a smile.

"During our war," Jack continued, and for the first time Will sensed some anger behind the mask, "he entered the void without the proper precautions necessary. The result was that he was infected by a disease. After he…"

Will smiled again.

"After our war, he returned to the void, and cast the infection back into the abyss." Jack finished.

* * *

"So, what, the Corruption is some kind of evil scab?" Irma asked.

"It is much more then that child." Theresa said. "Once it had returned to the void, the Corruption grew and multiplied as only a disease can. It has now grown to such a size that it could destroy Albion in a matter of days."

"So why doesn't it?" Taranee asked.

"A natural weakness to light." Theresa replied. "But even more importantly, the wall between the Void and Albion is very strong. Impenetrable, even for the corruption."

"That must be the veil!" Hay Lin said.

* * *

"But why do they need you?" Will asked Jack. "If they're so powerful…"

"I, with their help, can make the jump." Jack explained. "That is why they control me. I am a tool that they can use to get to you."

"Which brings up my next question, why do they need me?" Will asked.

"You can give them complete access to Albion." Jack replied.

"The Heart." Will said, glancing down at the jewel.

"Yes." Jack said. "It has the power to breach the wall, and begin the fall of Albion."

"Alright, then here comes question number three." Will said. "Why are you telling me all this? Shouldn't you be torturing me or something? Not that I'm complaining, but…"

"I am not a willing player." Jack replied. "The Jack of Blades is no pawn. They have used me and abused me and for that they will pay."

"Oh, I see." Will said. "You don't want them conquering Albion before you get a chance to."

"I don't think you understand, child." Jack said. "The corruption does not wish to conquer Albion, they want to consume it. The corruption will destroy every living thing on Albion, and remove every spark of life until Albion is black, barren, and dead. And once they are done, they will move on to every other world in the universe."

Will had no smart answer for that.

"I will not see Albion destroyed." Jack continued. "Its destiny is to be ruled by the Shadow Court…"

"That's debatable." Will said, regaining her composure.

"Either way," Jack said, "a consumed Albion is in no ones best interest. Which is why I'm forced to forge uneasy allegiances with the likes of you."

* * *

"Will would never help them!" Hay Lin said. "She would never give up the Heart!"

"I respect your confidence in your friends fortitude, but I fear you underestimate our opponent." Theresa said. "If Jack wants the Heart, he will get it."

"You don't know Will." Irma countered.

"You don't know Jack." Theresa replied.

"Enough! Now is not the time for bickering." Sparrow interrupted. "Now is the time for planning."

"And do you have one?" Taranee asked. "A plan?"

"Yes. Tear down the spire." Sparrow said. "It may not stop the Corruption from breaching the veil, but it will slow them down. Long enough to build an army and…"

"Woah, hold on!" Cornelia said. "What happens to Will? We can't just leave her there!"

"Unfortunately, there are certain things that…" Sparrow began.

"We're not leaving her." Irma said.

"We must make sacrifices in order to…"

"I don't care if I have to fight you, and the corruption. We're not leaving Will!" Irma said.

"Then what would you have us do, die with her?" Sparrow said. "This is a fight we cannot win."

* * *

"So what's the plan, are we just going to fight them?" Will asked Jack.

"No, that would be suicide. Even with our considerable powers." Jack replied.

"Well, wait a second, if they can kill us so easily, should we really be talking about betraying them so loudly?" Will asked, looking around nervously.

"They have no presence here." Jack said. "They claim that I work better alone, so they are giving me privacy, but the truth is that they are scared of you. Since you have entered the void, no member of the Corruption has gone near you. Their plan is to use you like a key. I plan to use you as a weapon."

"That's your plan?" Will said. "Use me as a weapon. Bit obvious, don't you think?"

"That is not my plan." Jack replied. "No, my plan is much more subtle. It will require a large amount of skill and timing, the likes of which only I can…"

"Just get to the point!" Will interrupted.

"Very well." Jack said. "First, you must pretend that you are defeated, that I truly have stolen the Heart from you. Then, after we give them what they want…"

"What?" Will said. "'We give them what they want'? That's a weird way of defeating an enemy."

"This has never been about defeating the Corruption." Jack said. "This is about surviving them. About getting us out and keeping them in."

"So we still have to open the portal?" Will said. "We have to unleash evil on the universe?"

"If everything goes according to plan, it will only be temporary."

"And if it doesn't?" Will asked.

"Then we won't be around long enough to worry about it." Jack said.

"Good point." Will said. "But not one that makes me any more comfortable."

"I'm afraid comfort is not a luxury we have right now, Will Vandom." Jack said. "I need to know if you stand with me in the endeavor. For if you do not, it could spell the end of everything."

Jack extended his hand to Will, who stared at it carefully. She had met Jack only recently, but it was already painfully obvious that this was not someone she would consider a friend. But maybe, under the right circumstance, he would be an ally.

"Let's do it." she said.

Then she shook Jack's hand.


	9. Dancing in the Dark

Chapter 9

Dancing in the Dark

Will kept her head down as Jack dragged her through the void. Her hands were bound by the same rope that had restrained her in her cell, and although there was nothing around her but blackness, she could feel thousands of eyes watching her. It was an odd feeling, being pulled through total blackness. She had no sense of up or down, and whatever her feet were touching, it didn't feel like solid ground. It was taking all of her considerable inner strength to keep her wits about her.

"The girl!" Jack said, coming to a sudden stop. "As you requested."

"Very good." The darkness replied. "And she will do as we ask?"

"Yes." Jack said.

"Then let us not waste time." The darkness answered. "Open the portal, girl."

Every part of Will wanted to run, or at the very least destroy the Heart, making sure that this blackness never escaped its void, but she thought of her mother, and Matt, and knew she had to at least try to escape, no matter what the risk. With great reluctance, she lifted the Heart, and began opening a portal.

At first, she didn't think she would be able to do it. She thought that the darkness had made a mistake, and that she was not powerful enough to break the veil. But as she continued to push, she felt another energy join in. This new energy, however, was unlike any she had encountered before. Where the Heart gave of bright, warm energy, this new power was cold and dark. It seemed to absorb not only whatever light it came in contact with, but also whatever joy and happiness Will had once felt. She recoiled as it came near, but kept her energy flowing through the Heart, and after a few minutes, a rip began to appear in front of her. For the first time in what felt like months, even though it had been less then a day, Will saw blue skies. The energy stopped flowing, and she could feel a cool breeze on her face. The brief moment of relief this provided was cut short by the scene around her. She was surrounded by hundreds and thousands of small, black creatures, each with dark, purple eyes. Will could not help but jump back at their sudden appearance. If they unnerved Jack, he did not show it.

"The portal has been opened." The Darkness said. "We thank you for your services, Jack of Blades. You were a good servant."

No sooner had the words been said then hundreds of the shadow creatures leapt threw the portal. Will watched them with awe, but Jack had noticed something in what the darkness had said.

"'Were'? 'Were a good servant'? Are you releasing me from your bond?" Jack asked.

Will's Heart skipped a beat. If they released Jack, then he would not need to help her, and she would be on her own.

"We are not releasing you." The darkness said, allowing Will to relax, "But we assume that you and the girl will be using the Heart to betray us, and escape the void."

Will and Jack exchanged worried glances.

"I thought you said they couldn't hear us?" Will said.

"They shouldn't have been able to." Jack responed.

"Nor did we." The darkness interrupted. "But putting two people in your position in the same room with a weapon of great power could only lead to one outcome. We knew you would join forces, and we were correct."

"Oh?" Jack said.

Jack flicked the ropes holding Will and they unwrapped from around her wrists. Will returned the favor by using the Heart to break the bonds that held Jack in place. When both of them were free, they stood side by side, one eye on the darkness and one eye on each other.

"Then why didn't you stop us?" Jack finished.

"There was no need to." The darkness replied. "As long as the portal was opened, what you did was inconsequential. You are no more threat to us then grains of sand in the desert."

As the darkness spoke, the shadow creatures began to circle around Will and Jack, closing off their avenue of escape.

"You know," Will said, "ever since I learned about you guys, all I've heard is that I can't hope to defeat you. That to even attempt to fight you was foolish."

She unleashed a burst of lighting that removed the nearest shadow creatures from existence.

"Let's test that, shall we?"

* * *

Sparrow faced the Guardians with determination in his eyes. By now the sun had set, and Sparrow realized that their window of opportunity was closing fast.

"Let me do what must be done!" Sparrow said. "Let me destroy the Spire, ending the threat of the corruption once and for all!"

"No! We are not just leaving Will in there!" Irma yelled back.

"I will protect this land!" Sparrow replied. "At all costs!"

"Will is our friend!" Cornelia said. "Just because you don't have any…"

"Ok, hold on. Everybody just calm down." Taranee said, stepping in between Sparrow and the rest of the Guardians.

"Taranee, you can't possibly be taking his side!" Hay Lin said.

"Of course not." Taranee replied. "I will do anything in my power to save Will. But if we want to save anyone, we have to realize that our enemies are not on this tower."

"Not yet, anyways." Sparrow interrupted.

"This goes for you too, Sparrow." Taranee said. "You want to save your people, and so do we. But we won't let our friend down."

"Isn't there a way we can do both?" Irma said.

"Or at least know if Will is all right?" Hay Lin said.

"I'm afraid I have very little knowledge in this matter." Sparrow said, much calmer now. "I do not know what we can do. Theresa, do you…?"

But as Sparrow turned to look, he noticed that Theresa had fallen to her knees, and was holding her head in her hands.

"I'm believe… that the point… is… somewhat moot." She stuttered.

"Why?" Cornelia said. "What…?"

Before the girl could finish, a bright light appeared behind them. The group turned to look, only to be met with a wave of shadow-like creatures.

"Oh." Cornelia said, defending herself from the oncoming horde. "That's why."

The group of five was momentarily caught off guard by the oncoming assaults, but they were each experienced fighters and quickly began to fight back. Sparrow battled his opponents with a flurry of magic, balanced by his pistol, which he wielded with deadly accuracy. It had been a while since he had fought a worthy opponent, but he felt himself returning to his old form quickly. If anyone had been watching the battle, and if they had not been terrified by the portal spewing its dark foes, they would have been in awe of Sparrow's fighting ability. He alternated between his attacks with such precision that the shadow creatures surrounding him were kept constantly off-balance. Still, it was clear that he alone could not defeat the horde.

The Guardians were not having quite the same success. While their powers exceeded that of Sparrow, they were used to having five members, not four. All of their battle strategies revolved around it. Will's absence had left a considerable impact on their fighting ability. Their fireballs and air tornado's were thrown in every direction, with little planning. They began to realize that it was not Will's power that they missed, but her leadership. At the thought of Will, they steadied themselves and fought back even harder then before.

"These guys aren't nearly as tough as you said they would be." Cornelia said.

"Yeah, we can take 'em!" Hay Lin added.

Sparrow and the Guardians were now doing an excellent job of keeping their enemies at bay, and were beginning to get the upper hand.

"These are merely the foot soldiers," Sparrow responded, dispatching another dozen shadows, "designed to test us and find our weaknesses."

"How many of them are there?" Taranee asked, trying to gaze into the blackness of the portal. She thought she caught a glimpse of pink in the void, but dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Too many." Theresa said, getting to her feet.

Not the warrior, Theresa stayed far away from the action, but still close enough for the others to hear what she had to say.

"Their power is to great." She said. "This is not a fight we can win."

"Then what do we do?" Hay Lin asked.

"The only thing we can do." Sparrow replied.

He blasted away another opponent, and, having bought himself some breathing room, stared head on into the void.

"We go down fighting."


	10. Darkest Hour

Chapter 10

Darkest Hour

Electrical bioenergy coursed through Will's body. The lightning danced around her fingertips before the Guardian hurled it at the nearest enemy. The shadow creature disappeared in a puff of smoke, but was quickly replaced by another. Will spun, firing bolts of quintessential energy in all directions, trying to keep a safe distance between herself and her nearest foe. Despite the situation, Will felt an odd sense of freedom. Whatever these creatures were, they weren't human, and she wasn't even sure they were alive. That meant that for the first time in a very long time, she could let loose the full extent of her power. The energy flowed from the Heart through her body, and releasing that energy was very satisfying. There was fear as well. Fear, anger and desperation clawed at her, but she kept a clear head and focused on the job at hand.

She was no longer keeping track of Jack. Since she had entered the void, Will had been keeping one eye on Jack and one on the darkness. However, now that the portal was open, and she could see the night sky, it didn't matter what Jack did. There was no need for him to betray her.

Jack, as it turns out, was faring only slightly better then Will was. He was fueled by a hatred that easily eclipsed Will's. While the Guardian had been trapped for less then a day, Jack had been enslaved for years, and he was out for revenge. If Jack had a weakness, it was his pride. The shadow creatures clawed at him, but he did not seen to notice. At one point, Will could see him silhouetted by the portal, shaking off a pack of creatures. Will ignored the scene and continued towards the portal. So far away…

* * *

On top of the Spire, the four remaining Guardians, along with Sparrow, fought a similar battle. Although the Corruption would say otherwise, they clearly considered the five fighters as a threat. Any shadow creature that made it through the portal immediately tried to remove Sparrow and the Guardians from the Spire.

"You know, this would make a great video game." Irma said, removing a few more shadow creatures from the battle.

"Any sign of Will?" Taranee asked Cornelia, who was closest to the portal.

"No, but I don't see anything." Cornelia replied. "It's pitch black."

A grunt from beside them caught the Guardians attentions. A barrage of shadow creatures was attacking Sparrow, a group much larger then any individual Guardian had been facing. While he was able to defend himself, he was slowly being pushed towards the edge of the Spire. Sensing this, the shadow creatures were no longer attacking, but simply shoving Sparrow towards the edge. He struggled against the force, but to no avail. He felt his heel slip off the edge, and began to fall, when something caught him.

"Whoops! Watch your step!" Hay Lin said, grabbing Sparrow by the wrist.

"Thank you." Sparrow said, once Hay Lin had gotten them both back to solid ground.

"No problem!" Hay Lin said. "I'm sure one day you can return the favor."

Hay Lin was interrupted by Sparrow pulling out his pistol and lunging at her. He grabbed Hay Lin, extended his arm past her shoulder, and fired one shot. A shadow creature, which had gotten with inches of Hay Lin, vanished in a puff of smoke, slain by Sparrow's bullet.

"Or you could do it now." Hay Lin said, rejoining the fight.

* * *

Will let out a wide blast of energy, clearing some space around her. She breathed heavily, giving her aching muscles a chance to rest. She analyzed the situation and groaned. She had been fighting for a while now, and the portal seemed no closer then it had ten minutes ago. Of course, it was hard to gain any perspective in the void, or any sense of time. As the wall of shadow creatures once more closed in on her, she bolted forward. She zipped underneath the attack, focusing her energy in front of her. The creatures slashed and clawed at her, but she kept her head down and continued to fly. This was not about victory; this was about survival. She just had to make it to the portal.

Will hesitated just for a second. The portal had disappeared. She scanned the void for it but found nothing. She looked for Jack, but found him out of earshot. Where had it gone? Had they closed it? Were the rest of the girls on the other side? Had they found a way to stop the Darkness, not knowing she was on the other side? The panic in her was beginning to rise when she caught another glimpse of the portal. But no sooner had it appeared then it disappeared once again. It flickered in and out of Will's sight. She took a deep breath as she figured out what was happening. It was a shadow, but nothing like anything she had seen in the void so far. This thing, whatever it was, was at least ten times Will's size. It was like a moving skyscraper, and it looked like it was moving towards her.

* * *

"Guys, this is getting bad!" Irma said.

She had now taken to the air, as had that rest of the Guardians. There was little to no space left on the Spire for any of them to fight. This didn't present much of a problem to the airborne Guardians, but it was a significant issue for Sparrow.

"I could use some assistance!" He shouted against the wind, once more being pushed towards the edge of the tower.

This time, it was Cornelia who came to his aid, lifting him off the ground. Much to Cornelia's surprise, however, Sparrow shook one arm lose as soon as they had gotten off the ground.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Cornelia asked, struggling to maintain her grip. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to help you!"

"If you could do your best to keep still…" was all Sparrow had to say.

In an instant, he had pulled out his gun and began firing shots into the crowd of creatures below. With so many targets, he had no problem firing off round after round, and shattering the Corruptions' ranks.

"Oh." Cornelia said. "Don't you ever run out of ammo for that thing?"

"It's… complicated." Sparrow said. "Try not to think about it."

The group of five continued to fight, but each passing minute equaled more lost ground. They realized that unless something changed soon, the Spire would be lost, and perhaps Albion with it.

"Cornelia, there is no other option! You must use your powers to destroy the Spire! Stop the rest of the Corruption from getting through!" Sparrow shouted.

"No!" Cornelia shouted back. "The portal opened! That proves Will is alive! They wouldn't have been able to use the Heart without her!"

"There's no time!" Sparrow replied. "If we don't act now…"

"Um, guys?" Irma said. "Too late."

The rest of the group turned towards the portal, and saw a horrific sight. A shadow unlike any of the others appeared in front of them. This one was over fifty feet high. It appeared to be made almost entirely out of living smoke, just like the smaller shadow creatures. Two large, purple eyes stared directly ahead.

Before any one could react, a light began to shine inside the creature. The shadow let loose a terrifying screams, forcing Sparrow and the girls to cover their ears. Slowly, the giant creature began to separate. Smoke began to drift off of it, sailing into the night sky. Faster and faster it began to dissolve, screaming the entire time. Eventually, it disappeared with a flash, forcing everyone to look away.

When they looked back, the creature was gone, but standing in its place was Will. Her costume was tattered, she was breathing heavily, and blood trickled from her nose. Despite her exhausted appearance, she managed a smile as the others looked at her dumbstruck. She lifted the heart and said two, very familiar words.

"Guardians unite."


	11. Darkness Falls

Chapter 11

Darkness Falls

Ever since he had first seen them in action, Sparrow had always thought that the Guardians were a very strong fighting team. They had excellent teamwork, their powers were extraordinary, and they used them with exceptional skill. He considered them among the finest warriors he had ever seen. But it wasn't until now that he truly realized just how strong these girls were.

With Will back, the Guardians launched into their offensive. This time however, it was much more organized then it had been before. There was no random shooting, but a decisive plan of action. First, Cornelia shattered the Corruptions' formation with an earthquake attack. This slowed the Corruptions' assault, buying the girls some much needed time and space. Next, Hay Lin and Irma used combined attacks to both keep the Corruption disoriented, and forced them into a larger group. Finally, Will and Taranee hit the Corruption with a devastating barrage of both lighting and fire. When it was all over, the Spire was mostly clear of enemies, although it was clear that it would not be long before that was no longer the case.

"Good to have you back, Will." Hay Lin said.

"Good to be back." Will replied.

"Yes, Will, I must say, you're quite impressive with your team." Came a voice from behind.

Sparrow and the Girls spun to see Jack standing at the edge of the Spire. He also showed signs of battle, as his armor was cracked in many places.

"Looks like they followed you out Will." Irma said. "Don't worry, we'll put him back in."

"No!" Will said. "Jack was imprisoned there too. He was doing their bidding against his will. He helped me escape, so we could fight the Corruption!"

"Yes, let me know how that goes." Jack said.

"What?" Will said. "You're not staying to fight?"

"No." Jack replied. "You served your purpose, and now my two enemies will fight each other to the death. Whoever wins will be so weakened that they will be in no shape to stop the Shadow Court. If it means anything, I'm cheering for you."

And with that, he leapt off the Spire and into the night. Will rushed to the edge, but saw nothing.

"So Jack betrayed you." Cornelia said. "Is anyone surprised?"

"No." Will said. "But he helped me start this fight. Now its up to us to finish it."

Without hesitation, a new horde of shadow's leapt through the portal and the fight began once more. With Will now participating, the group of six was doing much better then they had before. However, for every shadow they destroyed, two more took its place. It was clear that sheer numbers would soon overwhelm them.

"Any ideas?" Irma asked.

"We need to find a way to stop them from coming through, and quickly." Will said. "That giant that I took down? He wasn't alone. There were a lot of big things coming towards us, and I don't think we want to stay and meet them."

"Will, I assume that you opened the portal." Sparrow said. "Does that also mean that you can close it?"

"I think so." Will said. "It would be like closing portals when Phobos was in power. Except on a massive scale. It would take some time, but I could do it."

"Time we don't have." Hay Lin said, weaving in and out of shadows. "Anybody have any ideas on how to stop these shadows from coming through long enough for Will to do her thing?"

"I have a theory." Sparrow said between shots. "But I can't test it without your assistance."

"Set them up and we'll knock them down." Irma replied, blasting a few more shadows.

"Very well." Sparrow replied. "Our enemies only known weakness is light. We can use that to our advantage."

"Agreed." Will said. "I saw that in the void. They were more scared of the light coming from the Heart then any of my other attacks."

"So what's the plan?" Cornelia asked.

"Well, with Will's Heart, and Taranee's fire, we now have enough light to use as a weapon. If we focus it." Sparrow said, firing more rounds into the swarm of shadows.

"Right." Taranee said. "Will and I can't generate enough light to stop the shadows completely, unless we find some way of focusing the light on the portal."

"Well how do we do that?" Irma asked.

"That is where I need your assistance." Sparrow said.

"Taranee?" Will asked. "This is your department. Any ideas?"

Taranee thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know. Maybe? I… I don't think that's even possible."

"I would advise that you say any plan you are thinking." Sparrow said, now resorting to his sword to fight off the shadows. "We are quickly running out of time."

"Alright then." Taranee said. "I need everyone to keep the shadows off my back for the next few minutes. Except for you Cornelia. I need you."

"Sure." Irma said, turning to the portal. "Just keep them off your back. No problem."

"Hay Lin!" Sparrow said. "Stay high! Let us know if any slip pass us, and try to keep them off-balance with your air. Irma, widen your attacks. We just need to keep them distracted, we don't need kills on every shot. Will, just keep firing."

"Who died and made him king?" Irma muttered under his breath.

"I don't know, but he's doing a pretty good job." Hay Lin said.

While Sparrow was giving orders to Will, Irma and Hay Lin, Taranee was doing the same to Cornelia.

"Cornelia I need a wall of sand." Taranee said. "Big as you can make."

"You've got it." Cornelia said.

Although she didn't quite see the point of a giant wall of sand, Cornelia was too tired to argue, and did as she was told. Soon the wall was created, and Cornelia was struggling to maintain its shape.

"Alright, now what?" Cornelia said.

"Now, you need to curve it." Taranee replied. "Make it convex, so it bulges in the middle."

"What?" Cornelia asked.

"Just make it fatter in the middle then at the top or bottom." Taranee explained.

Cornelia did as Taranee said to the best of her ability. Taranee kept giving suggestions to Cornelia, telling her to adjust various parts until the structure was to her liking. The process was very slow.

"Hey, you want to hurry it up over there?" Will asked.

Sparrow's strategies had worked well and the shadow creatures were being held back for the moment.

"Almost done." Taranee said. "Cornelia, just hold that shape."

"Alright, but…?"

Before Cornelia could finish, Taranee started her part of the plan. Carefully, making sure to maintain the shape of the structure, she got her hand to the hottest temperature she could, and started to heat the sand. She did this at such a high temperature that the sand began to turn into glass.

"Oh, I get it!" Cornelia said. "Just like you did with sandpit, after he swallowed Caleb."

"Exactly." Taranee said. "Now stay back! I'm at almost 2000˚C here! It doesn't affect me, obviously, but it can melt the flesh off your bones if you get too close."

Cornelia did as she was told. Taranee was taking her time melting the sand. The glass had to be as transparent as possible for her plan to work, and she couldn't even look at what she was doing, due to how bright her hands had gotten.

The battle had taken its toll on the others. Sparrow, Will, Irma and Hay Lin were all exhausted. They each felt as if they were fighting under water, and simply clearing a couple of shadow creatures away from Taranee and Cornelia took a lot of effort.

"Taranee, we can't hold out much longer!" Will said.

"Just a few more minutes." Taranee called back, still focusing on her work.

"Then that is what we shall give you." Sparrow said, turning back to the portal.

"Last stand?" Hay Lin asked.

"Let's make it a good one." Will replied.

Taranee tried to ignore the plight of her teammates. Every part of her wanted to turn and help her friends, but she knew that their best chance of survival was the sand in front of her, so she got back to work. After what seemed to everyone like an eternity, Taranee finished her work.

"Done!" she said. "Will, I need you!"

"Got it." Will replied. "Cornelia?"

"On my way!" Cornelia replied, taking her friends place on the front line.

Will arrived next to Taranee and gazed up at the structure in front of her. It was an awe inspiring sight, especially considering the conditions under which it was built. Taranee had transformed the sand completely into glass, forming a convex lens aimed directly at the portal.

"Whatever you're planning, do it now!" Sparrow said, fighting back the next wave of creatures.

"Will, we need to create as much light as we can, and direct it at that lens." Taranee said. "You from the Heart, and me from my flames. As soon as the portal clears, shut it down."

"Okay." Will said hesitantly, "But what…?"

"You'll see." Taranee said. "Everyone, shield your eyes!"

Will lit up the Heart and Taranee grew bright with heat. They shone their light together, aiming it as much as they could towards the lens and the portal. Alone, the glow was too spread out to do much more then irritate the shadows. However, when the light hit the lens, it was reflected directly towards the portal, eradicating any and all shadows in its path.

"Just like roasting ants with a magnifying glass." Irma said, still shielding her eyes.

"Exactly like that, actually." Taranee said. "It's the same principle, just on a bigger scale."

"Is the portal clear?" Will asked.

"Yes." Sparrow replied, taking a quick look. "Now Will! Close the portal! Banish these creatures from my world!"

Will leapt away from her position and aimed the Heart at the portal. Without the Heart, the attack had grown weaker, and the shadows were beginning to re-group. Will tried to ignore that and focus on the task at hand. Just like closing a portal on Earth, she thought, only bigger. She pushed what energy she had left into the Heart, and slowly, it began to close.

"She's not going to make it." Sparrow said, lifting his gun, "The portal is too big."

"Haven't you learned anything yet?" Irma said with a smile. "She always makes it."

Will dug deep inside herself, and found the last bit of energy she needed to close the portal. With a satisfying hiss, the gateway to Albion was closed, and the Corruption was left stranded in the void once again. Will dropped to her knees once she knew she was safe.

"Will?" Hay Lin said, landing next to her friend. "Are you okay?"

Will smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"The portal," Sparrow said, "it is closed for good?"

"Yes." Taranee said.

Will nodded, still unable to speak. She had used almost all of her strength to close the portal, and was now completely exhausted.

"So Albion is safe once more." Sparrow said, holstering his gun. "I thank you Guardi…"

Sparrow was interrupted by a cough from Will. The group turned to see Will shaking her head vigorously. She looked like she was trying to say something, but no words were coming.

"Will?" Cornelia asked. "Just rest for a moment. We've won, we're finished now."

Will, however, just kept shaking her head.

"No… Not finished." Will said slowly. "Albion not… safe."

"What? Why? The Corruption is gone." Irma said.

"Not the Corruption." Sparrow said, beginning to realize what Will was saying. "Something else.

Will took a deep breath and looked up at Sparrow, and said one word.

"Jack."


	12. Two of a Kind

Chapter 12

Two of a Kind

Sparrow and the girls sat around the top of the Spire, surveying the remnants of the battlefield. Although all of the shadow creatures had disappeared once they were destroyed, there were still many signs of the battle that had taken place. Broken stone was scattered across the floor, and various areas had showed scorch marks from an errant blast from either Taranee or Sparrow.

"Well let's face it," Hay Lin said, breaking the silence, "that could have gone a lot worse."

"Indeed." Sparrow replied, cleaning his gun. "We have gained a well earned victory today, Guardians. I thank you."

"Don't mention it." Said Will, who had by now caught her breath.

"You fought your way out of the void." Sparrow said. "That is something that has only been accomplished once before. I must admit, I did not think it was possible."

"Hey, yeah, wait a second!" Irma said, getting to her feet. "You really didn't think she could do it. In fact, you wanted to destroy the Spire, leaving Will trapped in there!"

"Irma…" Taranee said, trying to calm her friend down, but it was to late.

"Don't think that we forgot." Cornelia said. "If Will had been ten minutes later with that portal, she would have been stranded there!"

"It was not as cold-hearted as you make it sound." Sparrow replied.

"Woah, you actually did want to destroy the Spire, even though you knew I was inside the void?" Will asked.

"He was willing to sacrifice you Will!" Irma said.

"You didn't trust me, did you?" Will said. "You thought I would betray you? That I would give the Corruption what they wanted!"

"And you did." Sparrow replied. "You opened the portal."

"Well, yeah." Will said. "But I had a plan. I mean, I had to try…"

"Exactly. And why did you have to try? When you were inside the portal, fighting to get out, what motivated you?" Sparrow asked.

"My friends, my family, and everyone I love." Will said firmly.

"And would you have done anything to protect them and keep them safe?" Sparrow asked.

"Of course." Will replied.

"Anything?" Sparrow asked again.

And for the first time, Will really looked at Sparrow. She saw not the Hero, but the man. She saw the toll years of fighting had taken on him. She looked into his eyes and saw sadness, but also determination.

"Oh." she said. "I see."

The group of six stood in silence for a while, contemplating what they all had just done, and what they would have to do next.

"The important thing is, Will's safe." Taranee said. "Albion is safe."

"Hardly." Came a voice from behind.

The group spun to see Theresa entering the Spire roof via a stairwell that led to the center of the tower. Will quickly faced Theresa with a charged fist raised.

"Who are you?" Will asked. "How did you get here?"

"Woah, calm down Will! She's Theresa, she's one of the good guys." Cornelia said.

"She is a friend." Sparrow said, approaching the woman. "Are you alright, Theresa?"

"Yes, Sparrow, I'm fine." Theresa replied. "Not being one for fighting, I carful headed downstairs once the portal had opened, and came up once I heard the fighting had stopped."

"What did you mean, 'hardly'?" Hay Lin asked. "Why aren't we safe?"

"No world which contains the evil that is the Jack of Blades can be considered safe." Theresa said. "This is a problem that must be attended to immediately."

"And it will be." Sparrow said. "Rest yourself for a few hours, Guardians. We must leave as quickly as possible."

"What?" Irma said. "We just fought… everything! An entire void! Give us a break!"

"There are numerous places in which Jack may be hiding." Sparrow said. "We must begin the search quickly if we are to find him before he summons the rest of the Shadow court."

"I'm not sure I want to find him right now, not in the state I'm in." Hay Lin said, once more sitting down.

"Yeah, I don't think I could go another couple of rounds, not with someone like Jack." Cornelia said.

"We must find him immediately!" Sparrow protested.

"Why, so he can kill us?" Taranee asked. "Because that's what he's going to do if we fight him now."

"Then we must summon all of our strength to defeat him." Sparrow replied.

"Woah, wait a second." Will said. "I understand that you guys were rushing to get to the Spire once I was kidnapped, and I appreciate that, but we can do this the right way now, can't we?"

"The right way?" Sparrow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Will said. "We can prepare ourselves. Albion must have an army! They can help us."

"Or scholars." Taranee said. "Elders, who could help us locate Jack more quickly."

"Impossible. Albion does not even have a proper ruler." Sparrow said. "Its military, and its enlightened, are scattered."

"Oh come on!" Will said. "You're telling me that there's no organized military in Albion? I find that hard to believe!"

"I did not say that…" Sparrow said.

"So lets use them! With an army behind us, we'll have a chance!"

"It will take to much time to organize." Sparrow said.

"Not if they have a leader." Taranee said.

"I will not have other men fight my fights." Sparrow replied.

"It's their fight too!" Will said. "Jack wants to rule all of Albion! Its people have the right to fight back!"

"This is my world, Guardian!" Sparrow shouted. "You will not tell me how to protect it, and you will not make me run it!"

With that, Sparrow turned and walked away from the Guardians, heading to the far side of the Spire.

"Yikes." Irma said. "Touchy."

"You see the future, right?" Hay Lin said to Theresa. "Can't you just tell us what the best idea is? Convince him that we're right?"

"These are decisions that he must make himself." Theresa replied. "I have helped him all I can. He must find his true path."

"Well, I'd better go talk to him." Will said with a sigh.

But before she could go after Sparrow, Taranee put a hand on her arm.

"Let me deal with this." Taranee said. "You go rest."

Will looked at her friend and shrugged.

"Whatever." She said, sitting down once more.

Taranee walked over to where Sparrow had headed. He was sitting on the edge of the Spire, looking out at the Hills of Albion, which were lit up by the rising sun.

"Why?" Taranee said sitting beside Sparrow.

"Why what?" Sparrow asked.

"Why don't you want to gather an army? Why don't you want help?" Taranee asked.

"I have explained my reasons." Sparrow said. "I will not do so again."

"Yeah, I heard your reasons, and, no offence, but they suck." Taranee replied.

"Excuse me?" Sparrow said, turning to Taranee.

"We could gather an army in a couple of days, max. Probably less if we tried." Taranee said. "You said it yourself. The people of Albion see you as a hero. Literally. They would not hesitate to follow you into battle. And not one of them would refuse to fight for their home. Am I right?"

Sparrow gazed back over Albion, but said nothing, which told Taranee all she needed to know.

"So what's the real reason?" Taranee asked.

"I… am not a leader." Sparrow said. "I do not want the responsibility of other lives. I will not carry that weight."

"Responsibility?" Taranee replied. "Being a leader isn't a responsibility, it's a privilege. I know you haven't exactly played the role for a while, but you are a natural leader. We all saw it on the battlefield."

"Do not assume to know me, Taranee." Sparrow said. "You have seen only a little of who I am, and what I'm capable of."

"So show me more!" Taranee replied. "The people of Albion need you to lead them. That's what they want! They want you to help them protect their rights, their freedoms, their…"

"Freedom?" Sparrow said. "They do not know what freedom is."

"What are you talking about?"

"See that?" Sparrow asked, pointing to the distant hills, "That's freedom! Not living under some flag, but the sky! From the red sky in the east, to the sunset in the west, I choose my path and I alone walk it. And I do it my way, under no one's command or bidding. Must I give that up for a life of schedules and rulings?"

"If it's for the good of the people, then yes." Taranee said. "That's what a hero would do."

Sparrow thought about this for a second.

"No." He said. "I have sacrificed to much! I've given up too many things, too many people. No more!"

"People?" Taranee asked. "You've given up too many people? What does that mean?"

Sparrow lowered his head for a moment, but said nothing. Taranee hated to keep asking questions that obviously caused Sparrow pain, but she had no choice.

"Who were they?" She asked.

"My sister." Sparrow said quietly. "And others. I had a chance… I could have… I could have saved them all, but I didn't. I had to leave them dead, all for 'the good of the people'. Let someone else save the world, I'm better off on my own."

Taranee glanced back at her teammates. The four of them were resting and chatting, and laughter could be heard periodically.

"You know, we're not so different." Taranee said. "We both fight on the same side, and we do it without hesitation. The only difference is that I have those like me. There are five Guardians, but only one Hero of Albion. I can't even imagine what that's like. I don't think I'd be able to be a Guardian without my friends. Not just for their powers, but for the times we share. Those are more valuable then any treasure on any world to me."

"What is your point?" Sparrow asked.

"My point," Taranee said. "Is that you keep calling this a sacrifice. That you'd rather walk alone. But having friends by your side isn't a sacrifice, it's a privilege, and I'd hate for you to miss out on it."

With that, Taranee got up, and rejoined her friends, leaving Sparrow alone to contemplate the coming times.


	13. Full House

Chapter 13

Full House

Despite the fact that they were officially in a civil war, the First Legion of Albion was bored. Fortunately, or unfortunately if you were one of the many battle-starved rookies in the legion, the term 'civil war' was highly inaccurate. The local paper had used the term to describe the ongoing decision making processes to decide the ruler of Albion, but no shots had been fired. Many parties from all across the continent had come to argue their case and fight for their rights. This fighting, however, was done solely in the boardroom, and not on the battlefield. For months, various representatives had taken to the halls of Albion castle for meetings and debates, and still little had been accomplished.

Such a gathering required security, and all parties had agreed to call upon the services of Albion's finest, namely the First Legion. But since all of Albion was represented at the meetings, there was no one left to attack, which meant that the Legion had spent a very long time guarding from no one. This restlessness showed as six figures approached the encampment. No sooner had Will's feet touched the ground then a group of soldiers, swords brandished, charged down the path the intercept them.

"Halt! In the name of Albion!" said the guards as the Guardians approachedr approached.

"Oh, not this again." Hay Lin said.

"I believe it would be best if I do the talking." Sparrow said, dropping from the sky.

Sparrow had been carried from the Spire to the castle by one of Cornelia's stone platforms, and he now stepped forward to meet the soldiers. Of the five soldiers, only four of them realized whom they were addressing. Recognizing Sparrow, they stopped in his tracks and sheathed their swords. The fifth man, the youngest of the group, continued on his path until he had brought the point of his sword up to Sparrow's neck.

"Finn! Don't you see who that is?" One of the soldiers said, restraining his friend.

The soldier lowered his sword slowly and took a better look at the man he was threatening.

"Oh. The Hero." He said. "Oh!"

He quickly put away his sword and looked away from Sparrow, as if unworthy.

"My apologies, great Hero." said one of the other soldiers. "He did not…"

"It is fine." Sparrow interrupted. "Think no more of it."

Taranee could hear tightness in Sparrow's voice. This hero worship was obviously the type of situation he tried to avoid.

"Why do you grace us with your presence, Hero?" the soldier said.

"Take me to your commanding officer." Sparrow replied. "Take me to Swift."

* * *

The Jack of Blades fell to his knees as he reached the top of Mount Roun. Although he had managed to hide it from that girl and her friends, as well as the meddlesome Hero, his servitude and eventual escape from the Corruption had taken its toll on him. He had not remembered the last time he had felt so drained. Even the simple matter of teleporting to the top of a distant matter made his muscles ache. This had indeed been a very humbling few months.

His weaknesses, however, only served to strengthen his resolve. He would not stop now, not when his goal was so close. But if he was to teach his enemies the true meaning of respect, he had a lot of work to do. He sighed, and began to draw shapes in the dirt below him…

* * *

Walter Beck had seen a lot of things in his time, but even he was quite surprised by the group of people heading towards him and his camp. Captain Swift was leading what appeared to be his entire platoon down the small forest path towards Walter, but while this alone was an unusual occurrence, it was not this that surprised him. The man leading along side Swift was a man that Walter had learned not to expect in groups, and yet there was the Hero of Bowerstone, clear as day. And as for the other five young women, well, they defied description.

"Greetings Captain." Walter said, shaking Swift's hand. "What brings you here today?"

"Business, I'm afraid Walter." Swift replied.

"So I see." Walter replied, looking at Sparrow. "An honor as always, sir."

"We need your help." Sparrow said, ignoring the compliment.

"And who exactly is this 'we' you speak of?" Walter said, eying Will and the girls. "No one I've ever seen."

"We are the Guardians." Will said. "Pleased to meet you."

"They are allies and friends." Sparrow said.

"A friend of yours is a friend of mine." said Walter.

"As I said, we need help and we need it now." Sparrow continued. "Swift said you were the best man he knew. Is this true?"

"Well, no pressure then, eh?" Walter said with a smile. "I'll do my best to serve you proudly. That much you can count on."

"Very well then. You will have your chance to prove yourself in battle." Sparrow replied.

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are we fighting?" Walter asked. "Balverines? Another Hobbes rebellion?"

"Not exactly." Sparrow said.

* * *

Jack stood tall on the summit of Mount Roun, and faced the figure in front of him. It had taken all hours of the day, but his effort had paid off. The first step in his plan had now been realized.

"Hello, brother." Jack said to the figure.

The man in front of Jack was dressed in full red and black armor, all of which was heavily adorned with various spikes and blades. All that could be seen of the man's weapon was the sword handle, which was encrusted with many rubies, as well as other jewels. The figure stood well of over seven feet tall, yet moved with such speed and grace as to disguise his massive stance. The man was menacing in every sense of the word, and was known simply as the Knight of Blades.

"Your vanity surprises me as always." Jack said, eyeing some of the more obtrusive shoulder spikes.

"Practicality." The man replied. "They shall know of the Knights return, and they shall know fear."

Jack smiled under his mask, then swayed off balance and dropped to one knee.

"Are you okay, brother?" the Knight asked, "Are you ill? Why are you so weak?"

"I am hardly ill." Jack replied, getting to his feet. "It was difficult to enter this world, let alone the energy I spent resurrecting you. You're welcome, by the way."

"Rest now, dearest brother. The Knight will protect you as he always has." The Kinght said, drawing his impressive sword.

"You do not understand the world today, 'dearest brother'." Jack said. "There is a new hero, and he is not alone."

"Let them come. I am the Knight of Blades, and I will…"

"For the love of the Court, put aside your arrogance for one minute and do some thinking." Jack said. "We once thought we were undefeatable, and we were wrong. Now, the only way to win is to strike together. That is why I need you."

"Ah." The Knight said. "For the ritual."

"Yes." Jack replied. "I think that it's time for a family reunion."

* * *

Swift, Walter, Sparrow and the Guardians huddled around a large wooden table inside Walter's command tent. Spread out on the table was a large map of Albion, and surrounding that were several ancient books regarding the history of Albion. A day had passed since Sparrow had approached the two men, and their numbers now reached 500 strong. Still, there was not a strong feeling of confidence in the makeshift war room.

"So we know who." Will said. "We need to figure out where and what."

"I believe I know what Jack is planning." Sparrow said. "Now that I know what to look for, and with the help of the local scholars, I am finding much information regarding the Jack of Blades, and the Court."

"The Court?" Hay Lin asked. "What's that?"

"It is the organization of which Jack is a member of." Captain Swift said. "The Court is made up of three primary members. The Knight of Blades, the Jack of Blades, whom you are well acquainted with, and the Queen of Blades, the most powerful of the three."

"So let me get this straight." Irma said. "Not only is Jack not alone, but he's not even the star of his team. Great."

"Somehow I think we're going to need more firepower." Will said.

"You have the best men of Albion." Swift said. "What more could you ask for."

"No, she is right." Sparrow said. "Which is why I took the liberty of inviting a friend here."

"Just one?" Cornelia asked.

"Trust me, that will be enough." Sparrow replied, and for the first time since they had met him, the Guardians saw a sliver of a smile appear on Sparrows face.

No sooner had Sparrow said this then a soldier opened the tent flaps and stood at attention.

"There is someone from the north here to see Sparrow." The man said. "She refuses to talk to anyone else."

"That would be my friend now." Sparrow said, standing up. "Captain Swift, you say you have the best men in Albion? Well, prepare to meet the best woman."

Sparrow led the group outside to find a tall, well built woman with red hair waiting for them. A woman Sparrow knew as

"Hammer!"

"Sparrow! My good friend!"

The Guardians watched in amazement as the woman wrapped Sparrow up in a bear hug and easily lifted him off the ground. The woman was big in every sense of the word, and easily dwarfed Sparrow. She had her namesake weapon strapped to her back.

"Care to introduce us?" Irma said.

"Yes, who are these new friends of yours?" Hammer asked.

"They are the Guardians." Sparrow replied. "They are brave warriors."

"They must be to fight in outfits such as those." Hammer replied.

"What? Look lady, you're not exactly…" Cornelia began, but a sharp elbow from Will stopped her.

"Pleased to meet you." Will said with a smile.

"I believe you know Captain Swift and Walter Beck." Sparrow continued.

"Through stories only, although their reputation proceeds them." Hammer said. "Quite the army you have here, Sparrow."

"An army I hope I can count you a member of." Sparrow replied. "I know you no longer kill…"

"But I still fight." Hammer said. "And old habits die hard. I will fight along side you once more, good friend."

"Excellent." Sparrow said. He then turned to the others around him. "Rest my friends. For in the morning, we march to war."


	14. All In

Chapter 14

All In

Sparrow felt very uncomfortable as he led the Guardians up a long, winding driveway towards a large mansion. The rest of his makeshift army was waiting down the road, only barely unable to fit on to the spacious grounds.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sparrow said, searching for an escape route.

"Yeah, we heard you the first time, Han." Irma said.

"You told us he was a man of great skill. Someone who could really help us." Will said, prodding Sparrow forward.

"I also used a lot of other words to describe him." Sparrow said. "None of which were flattering."

"We have to at least try." Will said.

Sparrow sighed, but as they reached the entrance, he knocked upon the large wooden door. Within a few seconds, the knock was answered by a tall man in an expensive suit. A large top hat sat upon his head and a pistol hung by his side. When the man saw who was at his door, he broke into a large smile.

"Sparrow, my good man! What a wonderful surprise!" the man said. He then turned his gaze to the Guardians. "And what fine friends you have! Although I didn't realized you like them so young. You old dog you!"

"Wow, you were right." Cornelia said. "This was a bad idea."

"Reaver." Sparrow said, addressing the man. "You know I would not have called upon you unless I was in grave need of your help."

"You never were able to relax, were you Sparrow." Reaver said with a sigh. "Always work, work, work. Never just a friendly visit. Well, whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"Even if it meant the destruction of everything around you?" Taranee said. "Even if you could save the world?"

"Not in my job description, love." Reaver said. "Sparrow here saves the world, and I enjoy it. It may not seem fair, but it works."

"Let's get out of here." Irma said, turning to go. "Before I do something I regret."

Will stayed for another second, and gave Reaver a look that made even him take a step back.

"Win or lose, Sparrow will be a hero to the people of Albion for all time." Will said. "What will you be remembered for?"

Then she turned, and followed the others back down the long driveway, leaving Reaver standing in the doorway.

* * *

Jack glanced up at his brother. While Jack was on his knees, pouring energies into the dirt beneath him, the Knight stood motionless, looking away from his brother. Although it may have seemed as if the Knight was doing nothing to contribute, Jack knew better.

"You can hear them, can't you?" Jack asked.

"Yes." the Knight said. "They are close. Very close. And it is many more then just your six that march."

"Do I sense fear in your voice, brother?" Jack said.

"Of course not." the Knight replied. "Let them come to their death. Saves us the trouble of having to find them."

"That's the spirit." Jack replied. "No come here and assist me, brother. I have need of your energies if the court is to become whole again."

The Knight did as he was told, but not after taking one last glance down the mountain path.

* * *

Much against their will, the Guardians marched alongside of Sparrow, instead of taking to the skies. Irma alone had pointed out many times how silly it was to walk with wings on your back, but Sparrow had countered by saying that any flight would waste unnecessary energy, as well as giving the enemy a chance to spot them coming. Irma had reluctantly agreed, but did not have to be happy about it, a point she reinforced regularly.

"How much farther did you say?" Irma asked.

"No farther." Sparrow said. "Guardians, gaze upon Mount Roun."

As he said this, Sparrow gestured to the large Mountain in front of them. It had been previously blocked from view by the dense forest canopy, but once revealed it was an awe-inspiring sight.

"Wow." Cornelia said. "We can fly up that, right?"

"Alright team, time for some last minute game planning." Will said, gathering Sparrow, Swift and Walter.

"Go up, and smash whoever's there!" Walter said, shaking his fist.

"I admire your enthusiasm." Sparrow said.

"As silly as it sounds, I agree with Walter's assessment." Swift said. "We must attack quickly and with great strength, before Jack can muster forces of their own. Now is not the time for stealth."

"Do we know exactly what forces he's mustering?" Will asked.

"The rest of the Court." Sparrow replied. "Mount Roun is where William Black first defeated the Court many years ago, and it is only here where Jack can hope to return the Court to its former glory."

"There is much magic that lingers in these parts." Swift said. "There are not many who tread these paths."

"But we must now count ourselves among them." Sparrow said, glancing up. "For the sake of Albion."

* * *

The top of Mount Roun was not a typical mountain summit. It had no towering peak, but instead a large, flat plateau. Historians and Geologists from around Albion still debate whether or not this formation is natural, or caused by the great battle held on the spot so many years ago. Only four people knew the truth, and two of them stood on the summit now. Neither Jack nor the Knight, however, spared the matter any thought as they watched Sparrow lead his army towards them.

While the pair were monsters, and freely admitted so, they were also true warriors. They sized up Sparrow's troops as they marched, looking for strengths and weaknesses to exploit. Jack filled the Knight in on those he knew of, such as the Guardians. The Knight listened, but said nothing.

Sparrow and Will were also sizing up their opponents, but were finding the task much more difficult. Neither was used to planning troop movements against only two enemies, and all guidelines needed to be thrown out and re-written. In the end, they knew it pointless to plan. They both knew it would be pure strength that won or lost the day.

"Jack of Blades. Knight of Blades." Sparrow said in a booming voice. "Leave Albion and return to the Court of face the consequences!"

"Hero. Those are your demands, these are ours." Jack said. "Die."

Despite the bravado of both Sparrow and Jack, it was Will who struck first. She fired a wide blast of lightning through the ground, aiming between the two members of the Court. The move was not designed to kill, but to separate the brothers and keep them off balance, which it did. Sparrow and the Guardians charged in immediately after the attack, and the battle for Albion had begun.

As planned, the Guardians separated from the group, and isolated the Knight. It was up to the five of them to at least control the Knight, while Sparrow and the soldiers of Albion fought Jack.

Will continued the onslaught against the Knight, keeping him off-balance. Taranee and Cornelia joined in, using their respective powers to grab and hold the Knights' attention. Irma and Hay Lin used this time to create an ice storm, one they enveloped the Knight in a thick layer of frozen ice.

"Ah, the classics." Irma said. "Really takes you back to the good old days."

Before any of the girls had time to relax, however, the ice began to crack, and soon the Knight had broken free, shattering his frozen prison.

"Fools! Did you really think you could hold me?" the Knight said upon realize.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying." Will said, flying out of the way of hundreds of ice shards.

Taranee tried to regain momentum for the Guardians, but this time the Knight was ready. He easily blocked Taranee's fireballs, and retaliated with a bolt of energy fired directly from his sword. The blast caught Taranee off guard, and sent the girl tumbling to the ground.

Next, Cornelia and Hay Lin attacked from opposite sides. Cornelia shook the ground around the Knight, while Hay Lin began to form a tornado. However, Cornelia got too close to the Knight, who grabbed the Earth Guardian by the leg and hurled her into Hay Lin. Both girls were sent tumbling to the ground.

Irma tried to attack from behind with a jet of concentrated water. The Knight was momentarily taken aback by the blast, and stumbled just slightly. Irma tried to press her luck and went in for a physical attack, trying to bring the Knight to the Ground. But the Knight was ready for it. He spun and hit Irma with a massive backhand strike, causing the girl to fly through the air.

The Knight slowly turned once more to face the remaining girl. Will stood there, glancing back and forth between her unconscious friends, and the man in front of her. Will only know realized just how big a foe he was. She sighed, braced herself for battle, and secretly hoped Sparrow was doing better.

* * *

Captain Swift and Walter Beck had both suggested that the Albion soldiers be the first to attack Jack. They were, after all, trained soldiers, and heavily outnumbered their opponents. Even if they did not win, Jack would be so tired by the fight that Sparrow could easily finish the job. While all this made perfect sense, Sparrow refused. He knew that this fight was between him and Jack, and he would not let others fight it for him.

And so it was that Sparrow alone was the first to attack Jack, while the rest of the army stood nearby. Both Sparrow and Jack spent the first few minutes on the defensive, testing each other's strength and weaknesses. The soldiers helped when they could, and occasionally got some hits in, although more often not.

"You are out numbered and out gunned, Jack." Sparrow said. "Even if you defeat me, you'll never defeat all of these men."

"Men?" Jack said. "I see no men. Only cannon fodder."

With that, Jack slammed his fist against the ground, causing a massive shockwave that knocked the soldiers from their positions. Sparrow alone had the strength to stay on his feet.

"You are but a child, playing a game of legends." Jack said, beginning to slowly walk towards Sparrow. As he did so, several of the stronger soldiers got to their feet and charged against Jack, but were dismissed by Jack without even a look.

"You are what? Some, wandering rebel, roaming the roads of Albion without a home?" Jack continued, still advancing. "What stories are told of you? What songs bear your name? I am older then Albion itself! I turned these fields black and these rivers red before your kind even existed."

Sparrow had heard enough, and pulled out his pistol. He proceeded to fire shot after shot at Jack, but it had no effect as Jack continued to walk.

"Still, your name will be remembered…" Jack said.

Then, before Sparrow could move, Jack appeared in front of the Hero, with a hand wrapped around Sparrows' neck.

"You will be remembered as the last Hero of Albion."


	15. Royal Flush

Chapter 15

Royal Flush

The Knight circled Will, staring at her intently. Although the odds were stacked against her, Will returned the stare with equal confidence. She even had a hint of a smile appear on the corner of her lips. The Knight inspected this new opponent carefully. On the surface, she appeared no different from the others he had dispatched so quickly, yet there was something odd, almost sinister about this girl.

"I'd offer you a chance to surrender and live, but you do not seem the type of person who'd take such an offer." the Knight said.

"No, I'm not." Will replied. "In fact, there's a lot you don't know about me. For example, you don't know how I'm going to defeat you."

"Your friends lie around you, disposed of." The Knight said. "My power eclipses yours. You have been outgunned and outmaneuvered, and as punishment, your life is forfeit."

"So it may seem." Will said. "You may think you've been around forever, and you may think you know every trick in the book, but you have no way of dealing with my ultimate strategy."

"Oh?" the Knight said. "Enlighten me."

"Let me tell you about a friend of mine," Will said, "a man named Caleb. He's not the strongest person I know. In fact, he doesn't even have any powers. But he always seems to come out on top, no matter who he's facing."

"And this man, this 'Caleb', he holds the key to your victory?" the Knight asked.

"In a sense." Will replied. "You see, he had this method of surviving tough battles, just like this one, and he taught me what it was. And that's my plan. That's my secret. That's my ultimate strategy."

The Knight stared at Will doubtfully, but Will smiled.

"I'm just stalling for time until help arrives." Will said.

"Wha…?" The Knight began, but before he could finish his sentence, a large boulder flew in from the side and swept the Knight away, sending him flying in the sky. When the dust settled, Cornelia stood where the Knight had once stood, with an eyebrow raised.

"'Ultimate strategy'? Really Will? And they call me a drama queen." Cornelia said.

"Give me a break." Will replied. "I had to think on my feet."

The two were distracted by a groan coming from beside them.

"Ohhh, did any one catch the number of that truck?" Irma said, slowly getting to her feet.

"Oh, please tell me Will did some magic spell and I don't have to fight that guy anymore." Hay Lin said groggily.

She was interrupted by a growl in the distance, and the sight of the Knight charging back into battle.

"Is it ever that easy?" Will replied.

* * *

Jack held Sparrow by the neck with one hand, lifting him high into the air. He clenched his other hand in a fist, and drew it back to deliver the final blow, but Sparrow was quicker on the draw. Before Jack could deliver the strike, Sparrow raised his gun and pointed it at the unarmored area under Jack's chin. He braced himself and pulled the trigger.

The impact took Jack off guard and caused him to stumble backwards, letting go of Sparrow as he did so. Sparrow landed gracefully on his feet, and continued his attack as Jack remained off-balance. He charged forward and landed two solid blows on Jack's mask. Jack blindly fired a wide arc of energy from his fingers, forcing Sparrow back.

"You dare?" Jack said. "I am of the Shadow Court! You can not even begin to understa…"

He was interrupted by a hammer to the back of his head, courtesy of the woman by the same name. Jack staggered forward, into the waiting fist of Sparrow. The Bladesman hit the ground, but this time, Sparrow and Hammer backed off, planning a course of action. Jack began to get to his feet, but was forced to once more take cover as gunshots landed at his feet, followed quickly by a bolt of lightning. Sparrow turned to the direction of the gunshots, and found a familiar but unexpected face staring back.

"Whatever would you do without me?" Reaver asked, putting another shot into Jack's armor.

"Reaver?" Sparrow asked. "This is unlike you. Why the change of heart."

"Well, I got to thinking, and I decided that Albion being burnt black did not suit my particular lifestyle." Reaver replied. "Doesn't do much for my complexion, I'm afraid."

"Your assistance is appreciated." Sparrow replied. "We are in dire need of you skill."

"Oh, and that's not all I bring." Reaver replied. "I ran into an old friend on the way here. Aren't you wondering where that lightning came from?"

Sparrow tuned once more. He had expected the lightning to have come from WIll, but was surprised for the second time in as many minutes.

"Garth?"

"Hello old friend." Garth said. "It is good to see you are well. You should have called."

"I had no way of finding you." Sparrow replied. "You did an excellent job of hiding."

"I seeked anonymity and I found it." Garth replied.

"And now you have found death!" Jack said getting to his feet.

The four heroes turned and faced Jack, weapons drawn.

"You face the four mightiest warriors on Alboin." Hammer said. "You really think you can take us all?"

"I know it." Jack replied. "Come then, all of you."

* * *

The Guardians and the Knight were unleashing energies that had not been seen on Albion since the days of William Black. Each girl used her powers to a devastating effect, but the Knight was fast. He managed to avoid many of the girls' stronger attacks, and what few did hit seemed to have no effect. In order to keep the Knight off-balance, the girls were now opting for wider attacks that, while not as powerful, were much more likely to hit. Cornelia had been throwing large, stone walls at the knight for the past minute, allowing the others a chance to breathe.

"Any ideas people?" Irma asked.

"The Knight's not full power yet." Taranee said. "He hasn't had enough time to build his strength. Plus, whatever he and Jack were doing up here probably took away some of his energy as well."

"So we're fighting the lite version of this guy?" Will said. "That's reassuring."

"The point is, Will, that this is our best, and probably only chance of beating him." Taranee said.

"And we better do it fast." Hay Lin said.

The girls turned to see a beam of energy fired from the Knights' sword hit and drop Cornelia.

Will rushed to her fallen teammates side, while Taranee and Hay Lin created a vortex of fire, which they aimed at the Knight. The Knight folded his arms together, blocking the attack. When the inferno had died down, the Knight emerged, angrier then ever.

"Keep it up guys, I think I'm on to something!" Will said, looking at the Heart.

Cornelia got back to her feet and rejoined the battle, as did Irma. Together, the five of them battled the Knight with everything they had. Every inch the girls gained against their foe was paid for with blood and sweat. The Knight was powerful, that much was obvious, but he could only attack the girls one at a time. By separating themselves, and attacking from long range, they were able to keep the Knight guessing. The girls speed and teamwork was all that kept them alive through the first few minutes of the fight. Each person spent more time watching over the others then themselves, and no one was left on their own.

As time wore on, the Knight wore out. His energies became more and more depleted, and he got more frustrated. Eventually, he could no longer hold back his anger.

"Fools!" He shouted. "You play with powers beyond your reckoning! Your actions have damned your world! You only delay your own death, and the death of everyone you love! I will feast on your…"

"Hey!" Will said, landing behind the Knight. "Feast on this!"

The Knight turned, but Will was ready. She shoved the Heart into the Knights mouth and down his throat. Then she released its energies and, like a bomb, it ripped through his core, canceling the very energy that made up his body. The Knight stood there for a second, motionless. Then, as the girls watched, the light went out behind his eyes, and he fell to the ground.

"Not bad." Taranee said. "Worked better then I expected."

"Um, ew!" Cornelia said. "That plan was gross."

"You're telling me." Will said, wiping her wet arm on her sleeve. "But it worked."

"Yeah it did!" Irma said. "Now just one more to go."

* * *

Sparrow and Hammer were the first to attack against Jack. Jack easily dodged Sparrow's shots, but that was exactly what Sparrow expected. Hammer was waiting for Jack after he dodged, and delivered a strong blow with her weapon. Jack stumbled forward awkwardly, then readied himself for the next assault.

Reaver and Garth stayed back from the initial fighting, though both for very different reasons. Reaver considered himself a contingency plan, just in case Sparrow wasn't able to do the job on his own. He felt no need to risk his life unnecessarily if he didn't need to. Garth, on the other hand, played a more strategic role. He had never been one to rush in uneducated, and his time away from Albion had only strengthened that philosophy. He analyzed both Jack's and Sparrow's patterns, and waited for his moment.

Sparrow continued to fight as best he could. He found this battle much easier then the one he had fought with Jack when they first met. Part of it was to do with the woman by his side. While not as powerful as the Guardians, Hammer was someone he was familiar with, and could trust without question. Jack himself seemed weaker as well. He had obviously used a lot of energy escaping the void, and perhaps here on the mountain as well.

Sparrow realized his mistake once it was too late. Too much time thinking and not enough time fighting caused him to drop his guard. Jack had dispatched Hammer and was advancing on him. Sparrow raised his gun, but found the clip empty. He fumbled with ammo as Jack advanced towards him. Just as Jack approached, a bullet ricocheted off of Jack's mask. Jack turned angrily to where the shot had come from, and was greeted with a bolt of lightning, which ran down his body.

"Saving your bacon is beginning to become a habit." Reaver said, holstering his smoking gun. "I thought you were supposed to be the Hero."

Garth, the source of the lightning, said nothing, but gave Sparrow a simple nod, which Sparrow returned.

Jack began to advance against the lightning, but just as he gained traction, a separate bolt hit him from the opposite direction.

The four heroes turned to see Will and the Guardians joining the fight, lighting flying from Will's fingers.

"Hey, he's stealing your bit Will!" Irma said, eyeing Garth suspiciously.

Sensing that two lighting attacks were redundant, Garth switched his assault from lightning to flames. Fire erupted from his hands, bathing Jack in heat.

"Oh come on, fire too?" Irma said, crossing her arms. "Can't we sue him or something?"

"Enough!" Jack said from inside the inferno. "I will tolerate this no longer!"

Jack sent a pulse of force emanating from his body, knocking everyone to their feet, and stopping the attack.

"Keep pushing!" Sparrow said, getting to his feet. "We must stop him before he raises the Queen."

Jack began to laugh, sending a chill down Sparrow's spine.

"Before I…? Do you really think you can still stop this?" Jack said.

"What do you mean, villain?" Sparrow replied.

"You can't win, Hero!" Jack said, looking to the west.

As he said this, the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, causing darkness to fall over the summit of Mount Roun. As the moonlight hit the peak, a change began to occur. Purple light emanated from the ground, basking the group in an eerie glow. Slowly, the ground cracked, and a figure rose from the rock. Before long, the figure, now clearly female, yet still shrouded by darkness, towered over the group. She took her place behind Jack, and drew a large sword.

"You can't stop me from raising the Queen." Jack said. "Because it's already done."


	16. Ace of Hearts

Chapter 16

Ace of Hearts

Sparrow stared at the woman who had appeared in front of him. Time seemed to slow to a stop as he analyzed his situation. In front of him were two members of the Shadow Court. The Jack and Queen of Blades stood together for the first time in centuries. From the way both were standing, Sparrow could tell that neither of them was at full strength. Jack was wavering, and the queen too was shaky, just getting used to her newfound revival.

Behind Sparrow stood his friends, some new and some old. Hammer, Garth and Reaver stared blankly at their foes. Even cocky Reaver and confident Garth were unable to fully comprehend what they were seeing. To Sparrow's other side, hovering in mid-air, were the Guardians. All five of the young girls were charged up, ready for battle. Sparrow couldn't help but admire the girls' tenacity. They had no idea what they were up against, but they were ready to face it.

"Queen of Blades, huh?" Will said. "Well I'm the Queen of Hearts!"

Will let loose an impressive blast of lightning, forcing the Queen backwards.

"Go!" Will said to Sparrow as she and the other Guardians flew by. "We'll distract the Queen, you take care of Jack!"

Sparrow nodded, and was then taken off guard by a hard uppercut, courtesy of Jack.

"Easier said then done." Jack said, as Reaver and Garth closed in.

Will continued to fire blindly at the Queen. She didn't know much about the Shadow Court, but what she had heard, she didn't like. The Queen's power was supposed to dwarf that of Jack's, and Jack had… She tried not to think about it and pushed on.

"Is a 'Queen of Clubs' joke too cliché?" Cornelia asked, raising a sizable boulder from the ground.

"I little bit." Will replied. "Besides, I always associated you with diamonds."

"Heads up!" Taranee said, launching a stream of flames at the ground where the Queen stood.

"Fool!" The Queen said. "I was birthed in the fires that created this world! Did you really think these…"

"Awww, sounds like you've had a tough life." Irma interrupted. "You could use a steam bath to relax."

Irma added a blast of water to Taranee's attack, which resulted in a wall of mist rising up around the Queen's face. The Queen cleared her vision just in time to meet a large boulder of Cornelia's making coming towards her. The boulder hit the Queen in her face, knocking her off-balance.

Will breathed a sigh of relief, but her satisfaction was shot lived. The Queen gathered herself once more, and returned to the fight. She let lose a steam of blue fire from her fingertips, causing the Guardians to scatter. Will soared high to avoid the attack, then glanced around herself. The Queen had gotten bigger then before, and was now towering over the Guardians. The girls continued to attack with everything they had, but it was clear that little effect was being made. Will sighed as she joined her friends once more, and hoped that Sparrow was having more luck.

Sparrow, Hammer, Garth and Reaver surrounded Jack from all sides. Jack turned slowly, keeping an eye on all of them. Hammer was the first to charge, swinging her namesake weapon wildly. Sparrow followed from the opposite side, and Garth and Reaver came soon after. Jack calmly stood his ground, and began his defense. He sidestepped Hammer, and her attack missed. Sparrow, not expecting his friend to miss, was forced to slow down so that he didn't hit her. That left him open to Jack's backhand, which sent Sparrow to the ground. Garth and Reaver both avoided getting close to Jack, and fired their respective weapons from long range. Both lightning and bullets hit Jack, but he returned the favor with a blast of energy from his sword.

By this time, Sparrow had gotten back to his feet and once more charged his opponent. He anticipated Jack's counter attack, and pulled up unexpectedly, dodging Jack's sword. He blocked and evaded the next two attacks from Jack, as Hammer snuck up from behind. Jack blocked Hammer's swing, but could not block Sparrow at the same time. The Hero landed a hard punch to the back of Jack's skull, sending his foe to the ground. Garth and Reaver kept him there with their attacks.

When they had stopped, Jack was on all fours, breathing heavily.

"He's done." Garth said.

"He is still a threat." Sparrow replied. "We need to end this."

"You can try." Jack said, slowly turning his head. "But none of you have the power to dispel me from this world. And while you try, my Queen will grow stronger and stronger."

"Perhaps alone, we don't have the power," Garth said. "But together? Sparrow, Reaver, to my side. Hammer, keep him down."

Hammer did as she was told, at kept Jack pinned to the ground with the end of her weapon. Reaver and Sparrow stood beside Garth. Garth instructed them to aim their weapon at Jack, which they did. Before either man could react, Garth placed a glowing hand on both of their weapons.

"Holding hands?" Reaver said. "You didn't get soft during your vacation, did you Garth?"

"No. As you well know." Garth replied. "Now, both of you, fire!"

The two men did as they were told, and pulled their respective triggers. Instead of normal bullets leaving their gun, both men were surprised to see projectiles of pure will energy, courtesy of Garth. The glowing shots hit Jack with a crack, and left twin, glowing holes in the blademans mask. Jack went limp on the ground.

"Not bad." Sparrow said. "Where did you learn that?"

"Little trick I've been wanting to try for a while." Garth said. "Didn't know if it would work."

"Seems like it did." Hammer said, leaning over to get a better look at Jack.

"Hardly." Jack said suddenly, raising a fist to Hammer's face.

Hammer tried to jump back, but it was too late. A blast of pure energy flew from Jack's fist, causing Hammer to scream, and fall to the ground. Before the others could react, Jack swept them away with a wave of energy from his sword.

"I am a being made entirely of will." Jack said. "Did you really think that little trick could stop me?"

"It was worth a shot." Garth said, getting back to his feet.

Reaver was the first to fire. He's instinct for self-preservation had now been overwhelmed by his anger. Reaver alone was the only one who could match Jack in ego, and although the shots ricocheted off of Jack's mask, he kept pulling the trigger. Sparrow joined in, and the dual shots rang through the darkness. Jack continued to advance on the two men, until finally, something happened. One shot, from Sparrows' third clip, got pass Jack's defenses and caused Jack to stumble.

"There's still a chance!" Garth shouted. "He can be hurt, and he can be killed."

"Be gone." Jack said, sweeping the three men away with a wave of energy.

Jack confidently strolled towards, Sparrow, who was struggling to regain himself, when he was interrupted by a scream from behind him. Jack turned, to be met with the blunt end of a large hammer. Hammer swung her weapon violently. There was no mercy in her eyes, only hatred. A large scar ran down her left cheek, and parts of her face were still smoking from where Jack had hit her. She was in a primal rage now, running only on instinct, and that instinct was to hurt Jack. It took Jack a few minutes to mount a defense against this onslaught. He created an energy bubble around himself, and then caught Hammer in mid swing. Without a word, he slung Hammer away into the distance.

Hammer's attack had not been in vain, however, as Reaver, Garth and Sparrow all attacked without warning while Jack was busy with Hammer. They attacked in unison, while still keeping out of range of Jack's sword. They succeeded in getting multiple shots past Jack's defenses, but that served only to anger the Bladesman. One by one, he blasted away Reaver and Garth, saving the most powerful blast for Sparrow. Sparrow flew through the air, hitting the ground far away from the battle.

Not far from while Sparrow lay, Will was facing a similar situation. The Queen had not been fazed by the different attacks the Guardians had thrown her way. She swatted the girls from the air, sending Will crashing down beside Sparrow.

The two fighters got up, side-by-side, and stared at their respective foes. The Queen had doubled in size since appearing, and Jack seemed to have found his second wind.

"We have nothing to stop them." Sparrow said, glancing over at Will. "We need a weapon."

"But we don't have one." Will replied. "All we have is your gun and the Heart, and alone, neither of them…"

Will stopped, and stared at the Heart, glowing in her hand.

"Alone, neither of them are powerful enough, but together..." Will said, approaching Sparrow.

"Will we already tried fighting as a team." Sparrow said.

"No, not like this." Will replied. "Sparrow, I'm about to do something I've never done before."

"Will? What are you…?" Sparrow asked.

"You have to be careful." Will said. "It's not going to be like anything you've ever experienced before."

"What? I don't…"

"It's not a weapon, it's a power source. Don't try to fight it, just use it with your own energy."

"Will, I don't think…" Sparrow protested, but Will wasn't listening.

"Taranee, read my mind." Will said.

"_Done." _Came Taranee's telepathic response. "_You sure about this, Will?"_

"_It's the only way." _Will replied. "_Besides, he's a hero, right? It's in his blood."_

"_Right." _Taranee replied. "_Okay, we're moving to safety. Good luck."_

"Will, what are you planning?" Sparrow said, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Sparrow," Will replied, "I give you permission to take the Heart of Kandrakar."

With that, Will thrust the Heart into Sparrow's hand. With all the laws of permission magic fulfilled, Sparrow adopted the power of the Heart. Energy flowed through him, from his head to the tip of his sword. His eyes began to blaze with power, and he turned to Jack and the Queen. He grabbed his sword and pointed it at the two Court members.

"Now then." He said, staring down Jack. "Let's try this again."


	17. The Break of Dawn

Chapter 17

The Break of Dawn

Sparrow tried desperately to keep the smile on his face. It was important that he appear confident, and comfortable with his newfound powers, in order to intimidate his foes. On the inside, however, it was taking everything he had to maintain his grasp on sanity.

The power from the Heart of Kandrakar was unlike any he had ever felt. It coursed through him like a living thing, fighting against all of his considerable might. It seemed as if it was uncomfortable with its new owner, and wanted nothing more then to rush back to Will's side. Sparrow remembered Will's final words to him before she had relinquished the Heart. He stopped fighting against it, and let it flow through him smoothly and without resistance. It was an odd feeling, but the Heart seemed to respond to it, and the pain inside him diminished.

"You wield a new toy." the Queen said, staring Sparrow down. "None of those who came before you ever needed such a trinket."

"I am unlike any you have fought before." Sparrow said.

"True." Jack replied. "You rely on outside help, and foreign weapons to fight. You are barely half the hero any of your ancestors were."

"I fight to protect my people. No matter what the cost, or the weapon." Sparrow replied.

With that, Sparrow unleashed a blast of energy from his hand, aimed at Jack. While unfocused, and seemingly a combination of both air and fire, the attack was still powerful enough to send Jack flying. Sparrow attempted to continue his assault on Jack, but was intercepted by a bolt of energy from the Queen. He managed to dodge the second attack, and hit the Queen with a bolt of lightning, staggering her. Before he could capitalize on her lack of balance, Jack had regained his strength and attacked Sparrow.

Not to far away, the Guardians watched the action unfold. With open mouths, they watched Jack, the Queen and Sparrow exchange blows equally. Every time Sparrow gained and advantage on one member of the Shadow Court, another took their siblings place. It was all Sparrow could do to keep them both at bay. Despite the incredible energies being unleashed, the girls stayed close by the battle. It was clear that neither the Queen nor Jack cared either way about the Guardians without the Heart. For some, however, they were still to close to harm.

"This way!" Whispered Walter Beck, carefully sneaking towards them. He was flanked by several soldiers, who kept eyes on the girls, and Sparrow.

Quickly and quietly, Walter ushered the Guardians back, behind a line of soldiers, where they joined Reaver, Garth and Hammer.

"You're a lot younger then you look." Walter said, once the girls had been secured.

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Hay Lin replied.

"You gave him your weapon?" Swift asked, sliding in next to Walter.

"It's not a weapon, but yes, we gave it to him." Will said.

"Can anyone see how he's doing?" Cornelia asked. "It's so hard to tell if it's working."

"It has to work." Will said. "'Cause it's the only shot we have left."

Sparrow was getting angry. He had thrown everything he had at both Jack and the Queen, yet they kept coming. He simply couldn't handle both of them at once. Thinking on his feet, he blasted Jack away with a strong wind, then focused on the Queen. Expecting an attack, the Queen entered a defensive stance, preparing to block anything Sparrow threw at her. Instead, Sparrow threw up a shield around the Queen. Not expecting this, the Queen did not attempt to stop the shield from forming until it was to late. Pushing against the force field holding her in place, she found it impenetrable. With the Queen out of his way, at least for the moment, Sparrow turned his attention to Jack.

Jack attempted to attack Sparrow from behind, but Sparrow was ready for it. He blocked Jack's attack and began his own. With grim determination, and rage in his eyes, Sparrow began a brutal assault on Jack, not giving the bladesman a second to breathe. Alternating between his own pistol and the elemental powers given to him by the Heart, Sparrow pounded away at Jack's defenses.

"What's this?" Jack said, still trying to sound confident despite being out of breath. "No clever plan? No trickery or deceit?"

"No." Sparrow replied coldly. "I am going to destroy you. That is all."

Without further bravado, all of the pain Sparrow had been forced to endure over the past few days was released in a flurry of blows. Using the Heart, his pistol, and occasionally his fists, Sparrow battered Jack into submission. Jack, to weak from reviving the Queen, was unable to defend himself. The Queen, trapped in the cage formed by Sparrow, tried desperately to break free, but to no avail. She could only watch as her brother was defeated.

After a few minutes, Jack lay on the ground, beaten into submission. Sparrow stood over him, pistol in hand.

"Finish it." Jack said weakly.

"Gladly."

Sparrow raised his pistol and fired one bullet at Jack's mask. The mask shattered, and as it did, Jack's body dissipated into the air. All that remained was the broken mask, and a scorch mark in the shape of Jack's body.

Sparrow was distracted from his victory by a scream. The Queen, with a piercing yell, broke through Sparrow's cage. Eyes lit red with rage, she rushed towards Sparrow, hands raised in fists.

"You think you've won?" she asked. "I am death personified. We've only begun to fight."

Without hesitation, the Queen leapt at Sparrow. Not expecting his opponent to free herself so quickly, Sparrow was forced to go on the defensive. He blocked as many of the Queen's attacks as possible, but eventually some broke through. Sparrow rolled with one of the Queen's energy blasts, allowing himself to get some distance between him and his foe.

"Your new toy will help you not!" The Queen said, readying herself. "I will pry it from your cold dead hands, and use it to begin the second age of the shadow court."

"Have your centuries of fighting my blood taught you nothing, villain?" Sparrow responded. "Albion will never again be yours!"

This time, Sparrow launched into an attack. Tapping in to the energies of the Heart, He knocked the Queen off balance with a strong wind, then hit her had with a blast of fire. He used all of this to distract her while he summoned a sizable piece of the mountaintop to crush her. The Queen remained under the rubble for only a second, before emerging and beginning her counter attack.

Sparrow brought out his pistol, but was forced to roll out of the way of numerous energy blasts. Firing off shots from both the Heart and his pistol whenever he could, he struggled to keep out of the way of the Queen's bolts. In desperation, he used both the power of water and air to freeze the ground underneath the Queen, causing her to lose balance long enough to stop her assault.

With gritted teeth, Sparrow launched himself into his final attack. His grasp on the power of the Heart was wearing thin, and he knew he would not be able to control it for long. If he were to defeat the Queen, it would have to be now. He leapt up at the Queen, and unleashed the full power of the Heart of Kandrakar. He did not worry about the combination of powers used, but instead opted for a full out barrage of every power under his command. Water, fire, earth and air all struck against the Queen, testing her defenses. For seemingly endless minutes Sparrow allowed the energy to pour through his body, straining his mind and body to the breaking point. Even Will, the Heart's rightful owner had never allowed the energies of the Heart to flow so freely, and it was clear he could only take it for so long.

Finally, Sparrow fell to his knees, his skin smoking from the energies now safely inside the Heart. With much trepidation, he opened his eyes to see the fate of his foe. Before him kneeled the Queen, face down in a large, smoking crater. Her head was dropped and her eyes were closed. The dark black haze that normally surrounded her body had disappeared.

Sparrow breathed a sigh of relief. Of course nothing could resist those energies. Not even one born of the void could withstand the full power of the Heart of Kandrakar. Behind him he could hear the rush of footsteps as his friends ran towards him. He had just begun to plan the celebration when a flash of red in the corner of his eye caught his attention. The Queen had opened her eyes. Slowly, she raised her hand, and aimed it at Sparrow.

Sparrow tried to get to his feet, but he was too weak and the Queen was to fast. The ground beneath him disappeared in a spray of rock and dirt, and Sparrow found himself blasted away. The Queen got to her feet and continued her ruthless assault. Never letting Sparrow get to his feet, she proceeded to fire blast after blast of pure energy at him. Sparrow was to drained to put up anything more then the weakest of defenses. The Queen continued this treatment for several minutes until it was clear that Sparrow was defeated. Towering over her defeated foe, the Queen raised a glowing fist, ready to end it. In desperation, Sparrow hurled the Heart itself at the Queen, but she easily sidestepped it, allowing it to fall harmlessly on the ground.

"Ha! That is your final attempt!" The Queen said. "You would throw away your own weapon? You are not worthy of the tittle, 'Hero'!"

Struggling to remain conscious, Sparrow mumbled something inaudible.

"Speak up, fool." The Queen said, nearing Sparrow. "Let the final words of the Black lineage be remembered. Speak!"

"It's not mine." Sparrow said.

"What?" the Queen said with a laugh. "Will your last words be nonsense?"

"The Heart." Sparrow said. "It's not mine. And I wasn't throwing it. I was returning it."

The Queen frowned, trying to make sense of Sparrow's strange words. She was still struggling with their meaning when two words, spoken behind her, made it painfully clear.

"Guardians unite!"

The Queen quickly turned around to find the five Guardians, fully powered, standing before her. Before the Queen could react, Will rushed forward and placed both of her hands on the Queen. Will funneled all of her considerable power through her hands, sending lightning racing across the Queen's body. The Queen screamed as power shot through her.

"So, here's the deal." Will said, staring into the Queen's eyes. "You're death personified. Said it yourself. But Quintessence, my power, is the power of life. It's literally life energy in lightning form. And it's going to kill you."

Despite the Queen's best efforts to resist, Will slowly brought her to her knees. Will pushed even more power through her hands, the Heart responding to its true owner. With lightning coursing through her body, the Queen collapsed.

"You… fool. Only a Hero… can truly defeat me. You do not have the power in your blood." The Queen said, struggling through each word.

"Oh, well isn't that funny. Guess what we have?" Will replied with a smile.

Sparrow, holding his side, stood next to Will and raised his pistol.

"Albion," he said, "will never be yours."

With that, Sparrow fired one bullet between the Queen's eyes. As the shot pierced the Queen, her body began to glow. Without warning, her form exploded in a burst of darkness. Light was absorbed by the explosion, not created, but its destructive power stayed the same. Anything nearby was destroyed, including the rock formations that made up the mountain peak. When finished, the explosion left the mountaintop completely flat, one last mark of the Queen of Blades.

Having gone for cover ages ago, Walter Beck, Captain Swift and the rest of the Albion army, as well as Garth, Hammer and Reaver, watched the explosion from a safe distance. As soon as the danger had passed, they ran to the site of the explosion, fearing for the safety of their friends. When they arrived, they found Sparrow, and the Guardians, huddled underneath a thin, pink energy dome, generated by the Heart of Kandrakar. The shield dissipated as Captain Swift and the others approached.

"Wow, talk about your sore loser." Irma said, getting to her feet.

"Everyone ok?" Taranee asked. "Is anyone seriously hurt? Will? Sparrow?"

"I'm fine." Will said. "I hurt too much to be dead."

Sparrow said nothing. The group turned to see the Hero still lying on the ground, motionless.

"Sparrow!" Hammer said, dropping beside her friend.

"Did… did we win?" Sparrow asked slowly. "Is she dead?"

"Yes, you won Sparrow. Albion is safe once more."

"Good."

And with that, Sparrow went limp, and slipped into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, it was in comfort. For him, it was the best he had felt for weeks, and perhaps years. He allowed himself no time to enjoy this comfort, however, and quickly arose to see where he was. He found himself lying in a bed in a bright, white room, with black curtains. His head hurt and his vision was fussy, but he could make out the royal seal on one of the nearby walls, and from it he gathered he was in Albion castle. Seeing no one around, he got up, and carefully left the room.

Testing to make sure everything was working properly, he gingerly headed to where he knew the main lobby to be. Upon entering, he found that his friends had survived the battle as well. There in the lobby, being served tea and cookies, were the five Guardians.

"Well, good morning sleepy head!" Irma said as Sparrow descended the stairs.

"How are you feeling?" Hay Lin asked.

"I suppose as well as I can after what I went through last night. What we all went through."

"Yeah, last night. About that…" Will said cautiously. Sparrow understood her meaning perfectly.

"How long was I out for?" Sparrow asked.

"Three days."

Sparrow slumped into one of the nearby chairs.

"Three days." Sparrow repeated. "It feels like it in my bones. At the risk of sounding ungrateful, why are you still here? I am happy you are, but I was under the impression that you had your own worlds waiting for you."

"Oh, we've come back and forth." Cornelia said. "Saw parents, boyfriends, whatever. But you can only resist the lure of a butler for so long."

"As hospitable as Jasper as been, we came back because we wanted to make sure you are alright." Taranee said.

"Well, you may put your fears to rest." Sparrow replied, accepting a treat from Jaspers' plate. "I am on my feet once more. Your kindness, and assistance, is appreciated by all of Albion."

"Speaking about all of Albion…"

"Not more trouble?" Sparrow said, sitting up. "It's far to soon for that, is it not?"

"Apparently so." Will replied. "The only news to report is no news. Literally. All of the talks making up your 'civil war' have ended while you were unconscious. They're waiting for news of your health."

"It's the most peace Albion's seen for years." Taranee added.

"That is good to hear." Sparrow said. "But I fear it is only temporary. With my awakening, talks, and arguments, will soon resume."

Will hated to leave on a down note, but she had little choice. It had been tough enough to explain her long absence to her parents and non-Guardian friends, and none of them could spare any more time away from home.

"Sparrow, I hate to say this, but we really only came to make sure you were okay." Will said.

"Yeah, we have a lot of commitments back on Earth we need to get back to." Hay Lin added.

"Of course. I understand." Sparrow replied with a smiled. "You have done enough for this world already, I can ask for no more. But tell me, we I ever see any of you again?"

"I've learned that nothing's impossible. Especially in this line of work." Will replied. "Take care Sparrow."

The friends exchanged warm hugs, remembering the times they had shared together, both the good and the bad. With a wave, Will and the Guardians exited through a newly made portal and headed back to Earth.

With great reluctance, Sparrow turned away form where the portal had been and made his way to the upper balcony. He leaned on the rail and looked down on the city below him. With the sun shining and the people milling through the streets, it was hard to believe that Albion could be anything but a peaceful land. Sparrow had seen otherwise through his travels. He knew the dangers lurking in Albion, and beyond, and knew it was only through blood and sacrifice that its people remained oblivious to those dangers.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" came a voice from behind, interrupting Sparrow's thoughts.

He turned to find Taranee standing in the doorway.

"You stayed?" he asked, surprised.

"Only temporarily." Taranee replied, joining Sparrow on the railing. "Will's holding a portal open for me downstairs so I can't stay long."

"And what is it that you suggest I'm thinking of?" Sparrow asked.

"Becoming ruler of Albion."

"In truth, it is hard not to think about it." Sparrow said, turning his attention once more to the city. "I know I will be asked once again to take the position, and this time my resolve seems to be weakening."

"Why do you reject it at all?" Taranee asked. "You have all of the qualities of a ruler, and you have the people's support. Why not accept your duty?"

"It is the people that you speak of that both call me to, and drive me away from the throne. What they want is far from what they need. They need a ruler with clarity and conviction. One with the wisdom to set a course for Albion, and the strength to get it there. I have neither of these things."

"You sell yourself short, Sparrow. I have seen you on and off the battlefield, and I would follow you down any path. What you lack is not conviction, but confidence. What happened to you?"

Sparrow continued to stare out at the city, and said nothing.

"It was a girl, wasn't it?" She asked, reading his face.

"Your keen intuition shines through once more." Sparrow replied. "It was two, one a girl, one a woman. The first, my sister Rose."

Taranee wanted to say something, but sensing a revelation, held her tongue.

"She was killed when we were both children, by the man I would spend the rest of my life fighting. I later found that the only reason he was interested in us at all was to get to me. She was merely connected to me, and for that she suffered, as does everyone else."

Taranee tried to think of comforting words, but realized that Sparrow had been living with this guilt his entire life. Nothing she said now would change that.

"What about the other woman?" She asked quietly.

"Her name was Bailey. We became close friends a few years ago, before I became a renowned hero. As we got to know each other, I fell in love with her, and I believed she shared those feelings. Then one day…"

"Oh no. She didn't…?"

"No. I was the only one who hurt her. I left her that day, and never returned, giving no explanation for my actions."

"But why? I thought you said you loved her?"

"I do!" Sparrow snapped. "I did. But I had many enemies in those days, and still do now. If any of them were to find her… I did the only thing I could to guarantee her safety. I severed all ties, and let her live her own life in peace."

"And where is she now?"

"I have it on good authority that she is alive, and living well. She is the only normal person, one who is not a Hero or a Guardian, that has known me and not met a horrible fate. If I become king, the same thing that happens to everyone else will happen to Albion. I will break them."

"But things are different now for you and her." Taranee said putting a hand on Sparrow's shoulder. "There is protection for both of you, here in the castle. Go to her, tell her how you feel. It is the only way to free yourself from this guilt."

Sparrow opened his mouth to argue this, but no words came. He found no rebuttal, and simply closed his mouth in silence.

"As for Albion, they have made their choice. They want you as their leader, no matter what that might bring. Being a hero isn't about how strong you are, it's about what you do with that strength. Lead Albion to peace. Be their hero."

With that, Taranee left for the portal, giving Sparrow one last glance. He watched her go, then turned back to the city below him. With the midday sun beating down on him, and the feel of the cool castle rail below him, he began to plan the future for himself, and Albion.

**A.N. Thanks for reading everyone! I had a lot of fun writing it, and hopefully you had a lot of fun reading it. Thanks to CMR Rosa for the idea and for all his support throughout the story. Thanks as well to everyone who read, liked and reviewed for your support. If you enjoyed this story, please check out my other W.I.T.C.H related work. See you next time!**


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